Generation of Human Alloantigen-Specific Regulatory T Cells Under Good Manufacturing Practice-Compliant Conditions for Cell Therapy

Cell Transplant. 2015;24(12):2527-40. doi: 10.3727/096368914X683566. Epub 2014 Aug 5.

Abstract

Natural regulatory T cells (Tregs) may have a great therapeutic potential to induce tolerance in allogeneic cells and organ transplantations. In mice, we showed that alloantigen-specific Tregs (spe-Tregs) were more efficient than polyclonal Tregs (poly-Tregs) in controlling graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Here we describe a clinical-grade compliant method for generating human spe-Tregs. Tregs were enriched from leukapheresis products with anti-CD25 immunomagnetic beads, primed twice by allogeneic mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mDCs), and cultured during 3 weeks in medium containing interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-15, and rapamycin. After 3 weeks of culture, final cell products were expanded 8.3-fold from the initial CD25(+) purifications. Immunophenotypic analyses of final cells indicate that they were composed of 88 ± 2.6% of CD4(+) T cells, all expressing Treg-specific markers (FOXP3, Helios, GARP, LAP, and CD152). Spe-Tregs were highly suppressive in vitro and also in vivo using a xeno-GVHD model established in immunodeficient mice. The specificity of their suppressive activity was demonstrated on their ability to significantly suppress the proliferation of autologous effector T cells stimulated by the same mDCs compared to third-party mDCs. Our data provide evidence that functional alloantigen Tregs can be generated under clinical-grade compliant conditions. Taking into account that 130 × 10(6) CD25(+) cells can be obtained at large scale from standard leukapheresis, our cell process may give rise to a theoretical final number of 1 × 10(9) spe-Tregs. Thus, using our strategy, we can propose to prepare spe-Tregs for clinical trials designed to control HLA-mismatched GVHD or organ transplantation rejection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / methods
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Female
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / prevention & control*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / therapy
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance / immunology
  • Immunomagnetic Separation
  • Interleukin-15 / pharmacology
  • Interleukin-2 / pharmacology
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / metabolism
  • Isoantigens / immunology*
  • Leukapheresis
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Middle Aged
  • Organ Transplantation / methods
  • Sirolimus / pharmacology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / transplantation*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • IL15 protein, human
  • IL2 protein, human
  • IL2RA protein, human
  • Interleukin-15
  • Interleukin-2
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • Isoantigens
  • Sirolimus