Epstein-Barr virus-specific adoptive immunotherapy for progressive multiple sclerosis

Michael P Pender; Peter A Csurhes; Corey Smith; Leone Beagley; Kaye D Hooper; Meenakshi Raj; Alan Coulthard; Scott R Burrows; Rajiv Khanna

doi:10.1177/1352458514521888

Epstein-Barr virus-specific adoptive immunotherapy for progressive multiple sclerosis

Mult Scler. 2014 Oct;20(11):1541-4. doi: 10.1177/1352458514521888. Epub 2014 Feb 3.

Authors

Michael P Pender¹, Peter A Csurhes², Corey Smith³, Leone Beagley³, Kaye D Hooper⁴, Meenakshi Raj⁵, Alan Coulthard⁶, Scott R Burrows⁷, Rajiv Khanna⁷

Affiliations

¹ The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development and Department of Immunology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia m.pender@uq.edu.au.
² The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
³ QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development and Department of Immunology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁴ The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁵ Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁶ The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Department of Medical Imaging, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁷ The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development and Department of Immunology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Abstract

Defective control of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection by cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells might predispose to multiple sclerosis (MS) by allowing EBV-infected autoreactive B cells to accumulate in the central nervous system. We have treated a patient with secondary progressive MS with in vitro-expanded autologous EBV-specific CD8(+) T cells directed against viral latent proteins. This adoptive immunotherapy had no adverse effects and the patient showed clinical improvement with reduced disease activity on magnetic resonance imaging and decreased intrathecal immunoglobulin production. This is the first report of the use of EBV-specific adoptive immunotherapy to treat MS or any other autoimmune disease.

Keywords: Adoptive immunotherapy; B cell; CD8+ T cell; Epstein–Barr virus; multiple sclerosis; treatment.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
B-Lymphocytes / immunology
Brain / immunology
Brain / pathology
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / virology*
Disease Progression
Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / immunology
Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / therapy*
Herpesvirus 4, Human / immunology*
Humans
Immunotherapy, Adoptive*
Male
Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / complications
Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / virology*