Allogeneic Virus-Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes(CTL), Persistent/Recurrent Viral Infection Post-HSCT (EAP CHALLAH)

The CTL lines were made at Baylor College of Medicine from donors for other transplant patients or other normal donors from the National Marrow Donor Program. All donors were screened in the same way as blood donors. When the CTL lines were made, blood was taken from the donors and used to grow T cells. To do this, we first infected a type of blood cells called monocytes with a specially produced adenovirus gene that also carries part of the CMV gene. The monocytes with these new genes then stimulated the T cells. This stimulation trained the T cells to kill cells with this part of the CMV virus or with adenovirus. We then grew these CTLs with more stimulation with EBV infected cells (which we made from donor blood by infecting them with EBV in the laboratory). We also put the adenovirus that carries the CMV gene into these EBV infected cells so that they too had CMV and adenovirus proteins. These EBV infected cells were treated with radiation so they cannot grow. By this type of culture, we grew out T cells that can see and attack cells infected with EBV, adenovirus or CMV. Once we made sufficient numbers of T cells we tested them to make sure they killed cells infected with these viruses and then froze them. The cells will be thawed and injected into an intravenous line over 1-5 minutes. All participants on this study will get the same dose of cells. However if the subject's infection responds to the CTLs, s/he may be offered up to 4 more doses at two-week intervals. If the infection does not respond, the doctors may also try a line from a different donor.