Abstract 3204: Pre-immunization of donor lymphocytes with GITR agonistic antibody enhances antitumor immunity in autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Narumi Kenta , Henmi Marina , Shibasaki Chihiro , Hirata Aya , Mizoguchi Yukihiro , Aoki Kazunori 
Published: August 2019

Lymphopenia-induced homeostatic proliferation (HP) of T cells following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) skews the T-cell repertoire by engaging tumor-associated antigens, and induces an antitumor immunity. However, the cure by autologous HSCT alone is difficult in case of solid cancers. Glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) is well-known immune-checkpoint molecules. GITR-GITR ligand interaction can provide a co-stimulatory signal to both CD4+ and CD8+ naïve T cells, enhancing proliferation and effector function. Since the tumor-reactive lymphocytes preferentially proliferate during the condition of HP, due to the synergic effect with encountering their cognate antigens in tumor-bearing host, we hypothesize that administration of GITR agonistic antibody (Ab) could increase tumor-responsive T cells in the graft and induce a strong antitumor immunity in HSCT recipients. First, we confirmed that the intraperitoneal administration of GITR Ab into CT26 subcutaneous tumor model mice significantly increased the number of IFN-γ+ lymphocytes in response to CT26 cells in the spleens and regional lymph nodes. Second, to examine the antitumor effect of HSCT, the bone marrow cells and lymphocytes were harvested from CT26 tumor-bearing mice as donor cells, and infused into the lethally-irradiated recipient mice with CT26 inoculation (autologous HSCT model). In the HSCT recipients infused with primed lymphocytes by GITR Ab, the CT26 tumor growth was markedly suppressed compared with the recipients infused with non-primed lymphocytes, and tumors disappeared in all recipient mice infused with primed lymphocytes. An ELISpot assay showed that the number of IFN-γ+ spots in response to CT26 cells was significantly increased in HSCT recipient mice infused with GITR Ab-primed and non-primed donor lymphocytes as compared to wild type mice until 4 weeks after HSCT; while the frequency in recipients with primed lymphocytes was markedly elevated compared with that in mice with non-primed lymphocytes at 2 weeks after HSCT. At present, autologous HSCT is clinically practiced after intensive chemotherapy in patients with lymphomas and solid cancers such as neuroblastoma and sarcoma, the infusion of hematopoietic stem cells and pre-immunized lymphocytes after high dose chemotherapy is an attractive and feasible clinical introduction of HSCT-mediated immunotherapy. Although the subcutaneous tumors of NHOS murine osteosarcoma cells were resistant for HSCT, the infusion of GITR Ab-primed lymphocytes significantly induced stronger antitumor effect than the non-primed lymphocytes did. In conclusion, the combination of HSCT with pre-immunization by GITR Ab can induce a strong antitumor immunity. This therapeutic strategy deserves an evaluation in future clinical trial for solid cancers.

Citation Format: Kenta Narumi, Marina Henmi, Chihiro Shibasaki, Aya Hirata, Yukihiro Mizoguchi, Kazunori Aoki. Pre-immunization of donor lymphocytes with GITR agonistic antibody enhances antitumor immunity in autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3204.