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Selim Kuçi,
Eva Rettinger,
Bernhard Voss, Gerrit Weber,
Miriam Stais,
Hermann Kreyenberg,
Andre Willasch,
Zyrafete Kuçi,
Ewa Koscielniak,
Stephan Klöss,
Dorothee von Laer,
Thomas Klingebiel,
Peter Bader
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ABSTRACT: Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in childhood and has a poor prognosis. Here we assessed the capability of ex vivo expanded cytokine-induced killer cells to lyse both alveolar and embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines and investigated the mechanisms involved.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from six healthy donors were used to generate and expand cytokine-induced killer cells. The phenotype and composition of these cells were determined by multiparameter flow cytometry, while their cytotoxic effect against rhabdomyosarcoma cells was evaluated by a europium release assay.
Cytokine-induced killer cells efficiently lysed cells from both rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. Antibody-mediated masking of either NKG2D molecule on cytokine-induced killer cells or its ligands on rhabdomyosarcoma cells (major histocompatibility antigen related chain A and B and UL16 binding protein 2) diminished this effect by 50%, suggesting a major role for the NKG2D molecule in rhabdomyosarcoma cell killing. No effect was observed after blocking CD11a, CD3 or TCRalphabeta molecules on cytokine-induced killer cells or CD1d on rhabdomyosar-coma cells. Remarkably, cytokine-induced killer cells used tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) to activate caspase-3, as the main caspase responsible for the execution of apoptosis. Accordingly, blocking TRAIL receptors on embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines significantly reduced the anti-tumor effect of cytokine-induced killer cells. About 50% of T cells within the cytokine-induced killer population had an effector memory phenotype, 20% had a naïve phenotype and approximately 30% of the cells had a central memory phenotype. In addition, cytokine-induced killer cells expressed low levels of activation-induced markers CD69 and CD137 and demonstrated a low alloreactive potential.
Our data suggest that cytokine-induced killer cells may be used as a novel adoptive immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with rhabdomyosarcoma after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
Haematologica 04/2010; 95(9):1579-86. · 6.42 Impact Factor
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Andre Willasch,
Gaby Schneider,
Britta Sofia Reincke,
Nona Shayegi,
Hermann Kreyenberg,
Selim Kuci, Gerrit Weber,
Bert Van Der Reijden,
Dietrich Niethammer,
Thomas Klingebiel,
Peter Bader
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ABSTRACT: Sequence polymorphisms (SPs) can serve as genetic markers for quantitative polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) for chimerism analysis, providing a significantly higher sensitivity compared to short tandem repeat PCR. In this study, a panel of 29 selected markers was evaluated in 317 patients with leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome, who received allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In total, 5415 posttransplantation samples were analyzed. Recipient genotype discrimination was possible in 96% with a mean number of 2.5 (1-7) informative markers per recipient/donor pair. Marker specific standard dilution series from volunteers' DNA served as standard for quantification of chimerism. Sensitivity of the method was < or =1 x 10-3 (0.1% of recipient cells) in 83.3% of the assays. By this method, it was possible to very accurately detect autologous signals in the range from 0% to 0.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] +/-0.2), from 0.5% to 1% (95% CI +/-0.4), from 1% to 2% (95% CI +/-0.6) and from 2% to 5% (95% CI +/-1.2). Reproducibility of the quantified autologous signals was independent from the amount of DNA. This is the first report on a SP-based chimerism system allowing for the performance of chimerism analyses for virtually all patients with high sensitivity, excellent reproducibility, and precision of measurement.
Laboratory Hematology 01/2007; 13(3):73-84.
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ABSTRACT: The WT1 gene is considered to be highly expressed in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia and is thought to play a key role in maintaining the viability of leukemia cells. However, little is known about the WT1 gene expression levels in pediatric patients with juvenile myelo-monocytic leukemia (JMML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). We studied WT1 expression in diagnostic bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) samples of 90 patients with JMML, low grade MDS, advanced MDS and myelodysplasia-related AML in BM (n = 20) and PB (n = 18) samples of normal healthy volunteer donors.
European Journal Of Haematology 08/2004; 73(1):25-8. · 2.61 Impact Factor
