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Epstein–Barr virus-specific adoptive immunotherapy for progressive multiple sclerosis

1. Michael P Pender1,–3
2. Peter A Csurhes1,4
3. Corey Smith3
4. Leone Beagley3
5. Kaye D Hooper1,2
6. Meenakshi Raj2
7. Alan Coulthard1,5
8. Scott R Burrows1,3
9. Rajiv Khanna1,3

1. ¹The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
2. ²Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
3. ³QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development and Department of Immunology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
4. ⁴The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
5. ⁵Department of Medical Imaging, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Michael P. Pender, Level 9, Health Sciences Building, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Queensland 4029, Australia. Email: m.pender@uq.edu.au

Abstract

Defective control of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection by cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells might predispose to multiple sclerosis (MS) by allowing EBV-infected autoreactive B cells to accumulate in the central nervous system. We have treated a patient with secondary progressive MS with in vitro-expanded autologous EBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells directed against viral latent proteins. This adoptive immunotherapy had no adverse effects and the patient showed clinical improvement with reduced disease activity on magnetic resonance imaging and decreased intrathecal immunoglobulin production. This is the first report of the use of EBV-specific adoptive immunotherapy to treat MS or any other autoimmune disease.

• Adoptive immunotherapy
 
• B cell
 
• CD8+ T cell
 
• Epstein–Barr virus
• multiple sclerosis
 
• treatment

• Received October 23, 2013.
• Accepted January 8, 2014.

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