Tracking the progeny of adoptively transferred virus-specific T cells in patients posttransplant using TCR sequencing

Huisman, W.; Roex, M.C.J.; Hageman, L.; Koster, E.A.S.; Veld, S.A.J.; Hoogstraten, C.; Balen, P. van; Egmond, H.M. van; Bergen, C.A.M. van; Einsele, H.; Germeroth, L.; Amsen, D.; Falkenburg, J.H.F.; Jedema, I.

doi:doi:10.1182/bloodadvances.2022007270

Adoptive cellular therapies with T cells are increasingly used to treat a variety of conditions. For instance, in a recent phase 1/2 trial, we prophylactically administered multivirusspecific T-cell products to protect recipients of T-cell-depleted allogeneic stem cell grafts against viral reactivation. To establish treatment efficacy, it is important to determine the fate of the individual transferred T-cell populations. However, it is difficult to unequivocally distinguish progeny of the transferred T-cell products from recipient- or stem cell graft-derived T cells that survived T-cell depletion during conditioning or stem cell graft manipulation. Using messenger RNA sequencing of the T-cell receptor beta-chains of the individual virus-specific T-cell populations within these T-cell products, we were able to track the multiple clonal virus-specific subpopulations in peripheral blood and distinguish recipient- and stem cell graft-derived virus-specific T cells from the progeny of...Show moreAdoptive cellular therapies with T cells are increasingly used to treat a variety of conditions. For instance, in a recent phase 1/2 trial, we prophylactically administered multivirusspecific T-cell products to protect recipients of T-cell-depleted allogeneic stem cell grafts against viral reactivation. To establish treatment efficacy, it is important to determine the fate of the individual transferred T-cell populations. However, it is difficult to unequivocally distinguish progeny of the transferred T-cell products from recipient- or stem cell graft-derived T cells that survived T-cell depletion during conditioning or stem cell graft manipulation. Using messenger RNA sequencing of the T-cell receptor beta-chains of the individual virus-specific T-cell populations within these T-cell products, we were able to track the multiple clonal virus-specific subpopulations in peripheral blood and distinguish recipient- and stem cell graft-derived virus-specific T cells from the progeny of the infused T-cell products. We observed in vivo expansion of virus-specific T cells that were exclusively derived from the T-cell products with similar kinetics as the expansion of virus-specific T cells that could also be detected before the T-cell product infusion. In addition, we demonstrated persistence of virus-specific T cells derived from the T-cell products in most patients who did not show viral reactivation. This study demonstrates that virus-specific T cells from prophylactically infused multiantigen-specific T-cell products can expand in response to antigen encounter in vivo and even persist in the absence of early viral reactivation.Show less

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Tracking the progeny of adoptively transferred virus-specific T cells in patients posttransplant using TCR sequencing

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