Hsp90 inhibition ameliorates cd4+T cell‐mediated acute graft versus host disease in mice

Abstract

Introduction For many patients with leukemia only allogeneic bone marrow transplantion provides a chance of cure. Co‐transplanted mature donor T cells mediate the desired Graft versus Tumor (GvT) effect required to destroy residual leukemic cells. The donor T cells very often, however, also attack healthy tissue of the patient inducing acute Graft versus Host Disease (aGvHD)—a potentially life‐threatening complication. Methods Therefore, we used the well established C57BL/6 into BALB/c mouse aGvHD model to evaluate whether pharmacological inhibition of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) would protect the mice from aGvHD. Results Treatment of the BALB/c recipient mice from day 0 to +2 after allogeneic CD4+T cell transplantation with the Hsp90 inhibitor 17‐(dimethylaminoethylamino)‐17‐demethoxygeldanamycin (DMAG) partially protected the mice from aGvHD. DMAG treatment was, however, insufficient to prolong overall survival of leukemia‐bearing mice after transplantation of allogeneic CD4+and CD8+T cells. Ex vivo analyses and in vitro experiments revealed that DMAG primarily inhibits conventional CD4+T cells with a relative resistance of CD4+regulatory and CD8+T cells toward Hsp90 inhibition. Conclusions Our data, thus, suggest that Hsp90 inhibition might constitute a novel approach to reduce aGvHD in patients without abrogating the desired GvT effect.