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Preemptive Control of Graft-versus-Host Disease in a Murine Allogeneic Transplant Model Using Retrovirally Transduced Murine Suicidal Lymphocytes¹

Section of Molecular Hematology and Therapy, Department of Blood and Marrow Transplantation [S. M. K., I. S., V. S., R. C., F. C. M.] and Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery [L. C. S.], the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, and the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030 [D. P.]

Suicidal lymphocytes could greatly expand the role of allogeneic transplantation by reducing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) as a barrier to transplantation, but optimization of their use is hindered by the lack of adequate animal models. To develop an animal model that used retrovirally transduced suicidal lymphocytes in a GVHD setting, a well-characterized MHC-matched murine transplant model (B10.BRAKR/J) was adapted. B10.BR splenic lymphocytes stimulated with concanavalin A and interleukin 2 were infected with a retrovirus containing the low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (LNGFR) and the HSV-TK gene and immunomagnetically selected; these LNGFR+/TK+ allogeneic lymphocytes were then cotransplanted with 1 x 10⁷ bone marrow cells into lethally irradiated AKR/J recipients. The LNGFR+/TK+ donor lymphocytes persisted in the peripheral circulation for 6 months in both syngeneic and allogeneic settings. Doses of 2 x 10⁶ TK+ allogeneic lymphocytes produced GVHD with a severity and time course similar to that induced by naive lymphocytes. Survival of TK+ allogeneic lymphocyte-bearing mice was significantly improved (P = 0.01) when ganciclovir (GCV; 2 mg/day) was administered on days 7–13 post transplant by i.p. injection, demonstrating that GVHD could be prevented. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis demonstrated 4-fold reduction but persistent circulation of LNGFR+ lymphocytes in mice treated with GCV at various time points 1–3 months after transplantation, demonstrating selective killing of GVHD-reactive cells. We conclude that retrovirally transduced LNGFR+/TK+ murine lymphocytes can be produced, persist after transplant, remain alloreactive, and can be killed by GCV administration, resulting in reduced GVHD.

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