TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS WITH AUTOLOGOUS REGULATORY T CELLS CD4+CD25+FOXP3+CD127LOW
- Svetlana Bykovskaia, Russian Federation
Abstract
Background and Aims
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) CD4+CD25+FoxP3+СD127low provide among others regulation of inflammatory reactions by suppressing effector cells. The function and the numbers of Tregs are compromised in patients with Remitting Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS). We aimed to determine whether adoptive transfer of expanded ex vivo autologous Tregs (eTregs) into patients with RRMS are safe and tolerable, and if they can restore the patients Treg deficit leading to disease-modifying effects.
Methods
In our study we traced differentiation of eTregs CD4+CD25+FoxP3+СD127low after short-term cultivation of initial CD4+ T cells of 37 RRMS patients. Fourteen patients were injected once with 300 - 450x106 eTregs and followed for 24 weeks.
Results
The resulting cell population consisted of 96,2-98,5% Tregs with increased capacity to suppress proliferation of effector target cells. The RRMS patients injected with Tregs reported minor and only temporary side effects. Two weeks after the cell injection the Treg level in the patients’ peripheral blood samples was elevated with a tendency to slowly decline during the following 2-3 months. The number of relapses was reduced by 76% in the RRMS patients. The expanded Tregs were seen to be twice as active in respect to up-regulation of FOXP3 and Helios genes expression compared to the patients Tregs at time of harvesting.
Conclusions
Infusion of eTregs is safe and feasible leading to a significant reduction in relapse and leading to EDSS stabilization indicating that the method could hold the potential to become a new treatment option for RRMS patients.