TY - JOUR
T1 - Virus-Specific T Cells for the Treatment of Malignancies—Then, Now, and the Future
AU - Sharma, Sandhya
AU - Leung, Wingchi K.
AU - Heslop, Helen E.
N1 - Funding Information:
S. Sharma is supported by CPRIT RP160283 - Baylor College of Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Training Program grant and NIH grants NIH-NCI P50 CA 126752 - SPORE in Lymphoma and FCCICF - NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30CA16672. W.K. Leung is supported by a Genesis Oncology Trust Murray Jackson Clinical Fellowship and a HSANZ New Investigator Scholarship. H.E. Heslop is supported by NIH grants PO1 CA94237, P50CA12675, a Specialized Center of Research Award from the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, the Dan L Duncan Cancer Canter support grant P30CA125123.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
PY - 2020/6/1
Y1 - 2020/6/1
N2 - Purpose of Review: Virus-associated malignancies are a global health burden, constituting 10–12% of cancers worldwide. As these tumors express foreign viral antigens that can elicit specific T cell responses, virus-directed immunotherapies are a promising treatment strategy. Specifically, adoptive cell transfer of virus-specific T cells (VSTs) has demonstrated the potential to eradicate cancers associated with certain viruses. Recent Findings: Initial studies in 1990s first showed that VSTs targeting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBVSTs) can induce complete remissions in patients with EBV-induced post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. Since then, studies have validated the specificity and safety of VSTs in some lymphomas and solid malignancies. However, challenges remain to optimize this platform for widespread use, including enhancing potency and persistence, overcoming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and streamlining manufacturing processes that comply with regulatory requirements. Summary: This review focuses on data from clinical trials evaluating VSTs directed against three viruses (EBV, HPV, and MCPyV), as well as recent preclinical and clinical advances, and potential future directions.
AB - Purpose of Review: Virus-associated malignancies are a global health burden, constituting 10–12% of cancers worldwide. As these tumors express foreign viral antigens that can elicit specific T cell responses, virus-directed immunotherapies are a promising treatment strategy. Specifically, adoptive cell transfer of virus-specific T cells (VSTs) has demonstrated the potential to eradicate cancers associated with certain viruses. Recent Findings: Initial studies in 1990s first showed that VSTs targeting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBVSTs) can induce complete remissions in patients with EBV-induced post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. Since then, studies have validated the specificity and safety of VSTs in some lymphomas and solid malignancies. However, challenges remain to optimize this platform for widespread use, including enhancing potency and persistence, overcoming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and streamlining manufacturing processes that comply with regulatory requirements. Summary: This review focuses on data from clinical trials evaluating VSTs directed against three viruses (EBV, HPV, and MCPyV), as well as recent preclinical and clinical advances, and potential future directions.
KW - Adoptive cell therapy
KW - Hematological cancers
KW - Oncovirus
KW - Solid cancers
KW - Virus-associated malignancies
KW - Virus-specific T cells
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U2 - 10.1007/s40778-020-00170-6
DO - 10.1007/s40778-020-00170-6
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85085084893
SN - 2198-7866
VL - 6
SP - 17
EP - 29
JO - Current Stem Cell Reports
JF - Current Stem Cell Reports
IS - 2
ER -