Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the mostpotent form of effective adoptive immunotherapy. The graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect mediated by the allogeneic graft, however, is typically coexpressed with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which is the major complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In this study, we used genetic and antibody-based strategies to examine the effect that blockade of interleukin 23 (IL-23) signaling had on GVH and GVL reactivity in murine transplantation recipients. These studies demonstrate that the selective protection of the colon that occurs as a consequence of inhibition of IL-23 signaling reduces GVHD without loss of the GVL effect. The separation of GVH and GVL-reactivity was noted in both acute and chronic hematologic malignancy models, indicating that this approach was not restricted by the kinetic profile of the underlying leukemia. Furthermore, a potent GVL response could be mounted in the colon under conditions where tumor cells migrated to this site, indicating that this organ did not serve as a sanctuary site for subsequent systemic relapse in GVHD-protected animals. These studies demonstrate that blockade of IL-23 signaling is an effective strategy for separating GVH and GVL responses and identify IL-23 as a therapeutic target for the regulation of alloresponses in humans. © 2010 by The American Society of Hematology.
CITATION STYLE
Das, R., Komorowski, R., Hessner, M. J., Subramanian, H., Huettner, C. S., Cua, D., & Drobyski, W. R. (2010). Blockade of interleukin-23 signaling results in targeted protection of the colon and allows for separation of graft-versus-host and graft-versus-leukemia responses. Blood, 115(25), 5249–5258. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2009-11-255422
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