autologous LMP-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Autologous LMP-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) is an adoptive cell therapy developed by the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) for the treatment of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This personalized, autologous biologic therapy involves isolating a patient's own peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), stimulating them ex vivo with γ-irradiated peptide epitope-coated lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), and expanding them in the presence of interleukin-2 (IL-2). This process generates a large population of T lymphocytes (predominantly CD3+/CD8+ T cells) specifically reactive against the EBV latent membrane proteins LMP1 and LMP2, which are expressed on EBV-positive tumor cells. Administered intravenously, this therapy has been evaluated in Phase I clinical trials to assess its safety, tolerability, immunologic effects, and preliminary antitumor activity in patients with advanced or recurrent NPC.

Other names

autologous LMP-specific CTLsautologous Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytesautologous EBV-LMP-specific CTLsautologous EBV-LMP-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes