Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is only curative treatment for several blood cancer such as leukemia and lymphoma, and works through high dose chemotherapy to eradicate blood cancer in combination of donor immune system fighting against blood cancer. However, it is not offered to every patient who need because of high risk of developing transplant related complication such as Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (GVHD) where donor immune system attacks recipient’s body. Moreover, blood cancer may come back even after transplantation. Thus, an innovative therapy to prevent both GVHD and relapse of blood cancer is needed to improve the success rate of ASCT. Here, we propose to develop a n...

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Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is only curative treatment for several blood cancer such as leukemia and lymphoma, and works through high dose chemotherapy to eradicate blood cancer in combination of donor immune system fighting against blood cancer. However, it is not offered to every patient who need because of high risk of developing transplant related complication such as Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (GVHD) where donor immune system attacks recipient’s body. Moreover, blood cancer may come back even after transplantation. Thus, an innovative therapy to prevent both GVHD and relapse of blood cancer is needed to improve the success rate of ASCT. Here, we propose to develop a novel cellular immunotherapy to fulfill this unmet needs. Previously, we established an effective strategy to grow unique immune cells from adult and cord blood, called “invariant Natural Killer (iNK) T cells”. The iNK T cells, especially derived from cord blood, can potentially behave as “master regulator” which can enhance anti-tumor immunity and control an excessive inflammation such as GVHD in ASCT. We will make cord iNK T cells armored with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to kill blood cancer, and test CAR-iNK T cells for their ability to kill blood cancer as well as to prevent GVHD after transplantation. If successfully developed, this novel CAR iNK T cells can be used not only to safely treat relapsed blood cancer after transplantation, but also to prevent relapse of the blood cancer and GVHD – two major complications from transplantation. Therefore, we anticipate CAR iNK T cells derived from cord blood can improve an efficacy and safety of ASCT so that everyone with blood cancer can receive ASCT to cure the cancer.

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