Donor regulatory T-cell therapy to prevent graft-versus-host disease

E Everett H. Meyer (1Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA) A Anna Pavlova A Alejandro Villar-Prados (1Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA) C Cameron Bader (1Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States) B Bryan Xie (1Stanford Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Division, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA) L Lori Muffly (1Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA) P Paige Kim (Princess Margaret Cancer Center) K Katherine Sutherland (6Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, United States) S Sushma Bharadwaj (2Stanford University School of Medicine, Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States) S Saurabh Dahiya M Matthew Frank (2Stanford University School of Medicine, Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States) S Sally Arai L Laura Johnston (2Stanford University School of Medicine, Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States) D David Miklos A Andrew Rezvani (21Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States) P Parveen Shiraz (1Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA) S Surbhi Sidana (Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA) J Judy Shizuru (1Stanford Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Division, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA) W Wen-Kai Weng (10Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA) V Vaibhav Agrawal (1City of Hope, Duarte, United States) A Amy Putnam (3Orca Bio, Menlo Park, CA) N Nathaniel Fernhoff (3Orca Bio, Menlo Park, CA) J John Tamarisis (5Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA) Y Ying Lu R Rahul D. Pawar (6Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA) J J. Scott McClellan (6Orca Bio, Menlo Park, United States) R Robert Lowsky (2Stanford University School of Medicine, Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States) R Robert S. Negrin (Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, United States)

Abstract

Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is a curative therapy limited by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In preclinical studies and early-phase clinical studies, enrichment of donor regulatory T cells (Tregs) appears to prevent GVHD and promote healthy immunity. We enrolled 44 patients in an open-label, single-center, phase 2 efficacy study investigating if a precision selected and highly purified Treg therapy manufactured from donor-mobilized peripheral blood improves 1-year GVHD-free relapse-free survival (GRFS) after myeloablative conditioning. We compared this study arm with a concomitant standard-of-care (SOC) cohort. All donor Treg products were successfully manufactured and administered without cryopreservation within 72 hours. Participants had a 1-year incidence of acute grade 3 to 4 GVHD of 7%, moderate to severe chronic GVHD of 11%, and nonrelapse mortality rate of 4.5%. The primary end point of significantly improved 1-year GRFS was achieved at 64% evaluated against a predicted incidence of 40% (P = .002) with a realized incidence of 36% in the SOC comparator. For those trial patients who developed grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD, 91% responded to front-line corticosteroid therapy, whereas 50% responded in the SOC comparator group. Trial participants had a reduced incidence and burden of GVHD and improved GRFS, compared with rates common to highly variable unmanipulated donor grafts and multiagent immune suppression. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01660607.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 145, Issue 18
Published May 01, 2025
Pages 2012-2024
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (28)

E

Everett H. Meyer

1Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

A

Anna Pavlova

A

Alejandro Villar-Prados

1Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

C

Cameron Bader

1Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States

B

Bryan Xie

1Stanford Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Division, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

L

Lori Muffly

1Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

P

Paige Kim

Princess Margaret Cancer Center

K

Katherine Sutherland

6Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, United States

S

Sushma Bharadwaj

2Stanford University School of Medicine, Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States

S

Saurabh Dahiya

M

Matthew Frank

2Stanford University School of Medicine, Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States

S

Sally Arai

L

Laura Johnston

2Stanford University School of Medicine, Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States

D

David Miklos

A

Andrew Rezvani

21Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States

P

Parveen Shiraz

1Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

S

Surbhi Sidana

Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA

J

Judy Shizuru

1Stanford Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Division, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

W

Wen-Kai Weng

10Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

V

Vaibhav Agrawal

1City of Hope, Duarte, United States

A

Amy Putnam

3Orca Bio, Menlo Park, CA

N

Nathaniel Fernhoff

3Orca Bio, Menlo Park, CA

J

John Tamarisis

5Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Y

Ying Lu

R

Rahul D. Pawar

6Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

J

J. Scott McClellan

6Orca Bio, Menlo Park, United States

R

Robert Lowsky

2Stanford University School of Medicine, Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, Stanford, United States

R

Robert S. Negrin

Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, United States