Donor CD4+CD25+ T cells promote engraftment and tolerance following MHC-mismatched hematopoietic cell transplantation

Blood. 2005 Feb 15;105(4):1828-36. doi: 10.1182/blood-2004-08-3213. Epub 2004 Oct 19.

Abstract

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a potentially curative treatment for both inherited and acquired diseases of the hematopoietic compartment; however, its wider use is limited by the frequent and severe outcome of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Unfortunately, efforts to reduce GVHD by removing donor T cells have resulted in poor engraftment and elevated disease recurrence. Alternative cell populations capable of supporting allogeneic hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell engraftment without inducing GVHD could increase numbers of potential recipients while broadening the pool of acceptable donors. Although unfractionated CD4(+) T cells have not been shown to be an efficient facilitating population, CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory cells (T-reg's) were examined for their capacity to support allogeneic hematopoietic engraftment. In a murine fully major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched BMT model, cotransplantation of donor B6 T-reg's into sublethally conditioned BALB/c recipients supported significantly greater lineage-committed and multipotential donor progenitors in recipient spleens 1 week after transplantation and significantly increased long-term multilineage donor chimerism. Donor engraftment occurred without GVHD-related weight loss or lethality and was associated with tolerance to donor and host antigens by in vitro and in vivo analyses. Donor CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells may therefore represent a potential alternative to unfractionated T cells for promotion of allogeneic engraftment in clinical hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / transplantation*
  • Female
  • Graft Rejection / prevention & control
  • Graft Survival / immunology*
  • Granulocytes / cytology
  • Granulocytes / immunology
  • Granulocytes / transplantation
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* / methods
  • Histocompatibility Testing*
  • Immune Tolerance*
  • Macrophages / cytology
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Macrophages / transplantation
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Radiation Chimera / immunology
  • Receptors, Interleukin-2 / biosynthesis*
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / transplantation
  • Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • Receptors, Interleukin-2