Cellular tumor vaccines administered after T cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow transplantation induce effective anti-tumor immune responses

In allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation, graft vs. tumor (GVT) activity contributes to the cancer cure. It is closely associated with graft vs. host disease (GVHD), an immune response initiated by transplanted donor T-cell responses against host minor histocompatibility antigens (mHAgs). GVHD is prevented by T-cell depletion of the donor graft, but T-cell depletion also abrogates curative GVT. We wished to test the hypothesis that cellular tumor vaccines administered after T cell-depleted HSC transplant can induce significant GVT effects, despite the absence of transplanted mature donor T cells. In this investigation, a murine model of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-matched, mHAg-mismatched allogeneic HSC transplant was studied. T cell-depleted or normal T cell-containing grafts were given to myeloablated recipients. Following reconstitution the recipients were vaccinated with tumor vaccines. GVT responses were measured in vitro by T-cell function assays and flow cytometry, and in vivo by tumor burden or survival. Post-transplant tumor vaccines induced effective anti-tumor responses in recipients of T cell-depleted transplants, producing cytolytic and cytokine responses, reduced tumor burden and prolonged survival. Recipients of T cell-depleted transplants that still have significant thymic function may be suitable subjects for post-transplant vaccine therapy.