Clinical Study of DC Plus CIK for Patients With Relapse Acute Leukemia After Allo-HSCT

Clinical Study of Genetically Modified Dendritic Cells Combining to Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells for Patients With Relapse Acute Leukemia After Allo-HSCT

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation(Allo-HSCT) is currently an effective treatment for Acute leukemia (AL). Relapse after transplantation, being a main obstacle for patient survival, is so far treated by second transplantation and donor leukocyte infusion (DLI), which seems to have high risk and low survival. Need for a new medication on relapse is urgent. The immunotherapy using Dendritic cells (DCs) combined with cytokine induced killer (CIK) cells holds promise for the adjuvant treatment of AL to eradicate or control residual disease. This randomized study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and effective of genetically modified DCs combining to CIK immunotherapy in relapse AL after allo-HSCT.

Patients received four subcutaneous injections of 2-5×10e7 cells of DCs at the groin, axilla, and neck respectively on days 7, 9, 11, and 13 and i.v. infusions of 2-15×10e9 CIK on days 11 and 13 per cycle. The cycle was repeated until Wilms' tumor 1(WT1) turned negative by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) or graft-versus-host disease(GVHD) appeared.

Patients received DLI at a dose of 2×10e7/kg, 5×10e7/kg and 1×10e8/kg cluster of differentiation 3(CD3)+ cells at months 1, 2 and 3 respectively unless GVHD appeared.

Inclusion Criteria: AL patients according to the WHO criteria expected survival duration of more than 3 months age between 8 and 61years Exclusion Criteria: underlying autoimmune disease positive serology for HIV infection chronic active hepatitis

Wang D, Huang XF, Hong B, Song XT, Hu L, Jiang M, Zhang B, Ning H, Li Y, Xu C, Lou X, Li B, Yu Z, Hu J, Chen J, Yang F, Gao H, Ding G, Liao L, Rollins L, Jones L, Chen SY, Chen H. Efficacy of intracellular immune checkpoint-silenced DC vaccine. JCI Insight. 2018 Feb 8;3(3):e98368. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.98368. eCollection 2018 Feb 8.