Molecular Classification
Cell Therapy, Immunotherapy
Other Names
Donor T-cell Immunotherapy, T-cell adoptive immunotherapy, Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with T-cells
Disease Roles
CancerViral infectionsPost-transplant immune deficiency

Adoptive Transfer of Donor T-cells Overview

Adoptive transfer of donor T-cells is a form of immunotherapy in which T lymphocytes are isolated from a donor, expanded or modified ex vivo, and then infused into a recipient to restore or enhance immune function. This approach leverages the specificity and potency of the adaptive immune response by providing patients with functional effector/memory populations that may otherwise be absent or dysfunctional due to disease or treatment effects. It is used to treat diseases such as cancer, viral infections, and immune deficiencies.

Mechanism of Action

Donor T-cells recognize and eliminate target cells expressing specific antigens (e.g., tumor-associated antigens or viral antigens). CD4+ T cells provide help for antibody production and CD8+ T cells mediate direct cytotoxicity.

Biological Functions

Immune reconstitution
Antigen-specific cytotoxicity
Adaptive immunity
Immune response enhancement

Disease Associations

Cancer
Viral infections
Post-transplant immune deficiency
Immunodeficiency

Safety Considerations

  • Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
  • Cytokine release syndrome (CRS)
  • On-target, off-tumor toxicity
  • Neurotoxicity
  • B cell aplasia (for CD19-targeted CAR-T cells)
  • Insertional mutagenesis (for gene-modified T-cells)

Interacting Drugs

IL-2
Chemotherapy (lymphodepletion regimens)
Immunosuppressants (for GVHD management)

Associated Biomarkers

Biomarker
TCR repertoire
CAR expression levels
Cytokine production (e.g., IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha)
Persistence of transferred T-cells
Tumor regression (in cancer therapy)
Viral load (in viral infections)
GVHD markers (e.g., skin rash, liver enzyme elevation)