Rapid Generation of Epstein-Barr Virus–Specific T Cells for Cellular Therapy

Lymphoproliferative disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a serious and life-threatening disease. CD8+ T lymphocytes play a key role in the control of viral diseases and some tumors. Adoptive immunotherapy has been shown to be effective in controlling and preventing some virus-related diseases in transplant recipients. However, the ex vivo production of cells for adoptive transfer is labor-intensive and expensive. To simplify the culture procedures of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, we explored a novel method, a rapid expansion protocol, that only used recombinant human interleukin to initiate the growth of clinical-grade EBV-specific T cells. After restimulation with EBV peptides principally from latent antigens and immediate/early antigens, the CD8+ cells obtained could produce cytokines that had cytotoxic activity against target cells. This method provides a new possibility for the treatment of life-threatening EBV-associated malignancies.