Recipient leukocyte infusion enhances the local and systemic graft-versus-neuroblastoma effect of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in mice

Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2013 Nov;62(11):1733-44. doi: 10.1007/s00262-013-1479-6. Epub 2013 Oct 1.

Abstract

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and donor leukocyte infusion (DLI) may hold potential as a novel form of immunotherapy for high-risk neuroblastoma. DLI, however, carries the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Recipient leukocyte infusion (RLI) induces graft-versus-leukemia responses without GvHD in mice and is currently being explored clinically. Here, we demonstrate that both DLI and RLI, when given to mixed C57BL/6→A/J radiation chimeras carrying subcutaneous Neuro2A neuroblastoma implants, can slow the local growth of such tumors. DLI provoked full donor chimerism and GvHD; RLI produced graft rejection but left mice healthy. Flow cytometric studies showed that the chimerism of intratumoral leukocytes paralleled the systemic chimerism. This was associated with increased CD8/CD4 ratios, CD8+ T-cell IFN-γ expression and NK-cell Granzyme B expression within the tumor, following both DLI and RLI. The clinically safe anti-tumor effect of RLI was further enhanced by adoptively transferred naïve recipient-type NK cells. In models of intravenous Neuro2A tumor challenge, allogeneic chimeras showed superior overall survival over syngeneic chimeras. Bioluminescence imaging in allogeneic chimeras challenged with luciferase-transduced Neuro2A cells showed both DLI and RLI to prolong metastasis-free survival. This is the first experimental evidence that RLI can safely produce a local and systemic anti-tumor effect against a solid tumor. Our data indicate that RLI may provide combined T-cell and NK-cell reactivity effectively targeting Neuro2A neuroblastoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / methods*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology*
  • Granzymes / immunology
  • Granzymes / metabolism
  • Host vs Graft Reaction / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / metabolism
  • Leukocyte Transfusion / methods*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred Strains
  • Neuroblastoma / immunology*
  • Neuroblastoma / pathology
  • Neuroblastoma / therapy
  • Transplantation Chimera / immunology
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Interferon-gamma
  • Granzymes