Ramos TL, Bolivar-Wagers S, Jin Sujeong, et al. Prevention of Acute GVHD Disease Using an Orthogonal IL-2/IL-2Rß System to Selectively Expand Regulatory T-Cells in Vivo. Blood. 2022; (doi: 10.1182/blood.2022018440).

Researchers have unlocked a way to boost the efficacy of regulatory T cell (Treg) therapies, which help manage graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) and, ideally, prevent progression to the acute stage. At the core of the discovery is an orthogonal IL-2 (oIL2) system that preferentially promotes donor Treg expansion in vivo. Using a murine GVHD model, investigators demonstrated that administration of oIL2 allows for selective expansion of oIL-2Rß receptor (oIL2Rß) Tregs. As a result, mice treated with oIL2 achieved better GVHD survival than those treated with phosphate buffered saline. In addition, oIL2 reduced expansion of conventional T cells into the secondary lymphoid organs and intestines of recipient mice. Besides delivering greater GVHD protection, the oIL2 system supported preservation of the graft-versus-tumor (GVT) function in two models. While one of the limiting factors of Treg therapies is the requirement for high therapeutic doses, the researchers note that GVHD outcomes were improved and GVT responses maintained with a smaller number of oIL2Rß Tregs.

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Tags: GVHD, transplantation, Cellular therapy, Survival, Research, Transplant, Graft versus host disease, Acute GVHD, cell therapy, Clinical Research, graft, graft-versus-host disease, graft-versus-host