-Author name in bold denotes the presenting author
-Asterisk * with author name denotes a Non-ASH member
Clinically Relevant Abstract denotes an abstract that is clinically relevant.

PhD Trainee denotes that this is a recommended PHD Trainee Session.

Ticketed Session denotes that this is a ticketed session.

4018 Mesenchymal STEM CELLS Favor Tumor Growth By Generating Granulocyte-like Myeloid Derived Suppressor CELLS in CML Patients

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Biology and Pathophysiology, excluding Therapy
Program: Oral and Poster Abstracts
Session: 631. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Biology and Pathophysiology, excluding Therapy: Poster III
Monday, December 7, 2015, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Hall A, Level 2 (Orange County Convention Center)

Cesarina Giallongo1*, Nunziatina L Parrinello1*, Daniele Tibullo, Ph.D1*, Claudia Bellofiore1*, Piera La Cava1*, Alessandra Romano, MD, PhD1*, Annalisa Chiarenza2*, Fabio Stagno, MD, PhD1, Paolo Vigneri, MD/PhD3*, Giuseppe A. Palumbo, MD4* and Francesco Di Raimondo, MD/PhD5

1Division of Haematology, AOU, Catania, Italy
2Division of Hematology, Ferrarotto Hospital, Catania, Italy
3Dep. Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania Medical School, Catania, Italy
4Division of Hematology, Ospedale Ferrarotto, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
5Section of Hematology, A.O.U. Policlinico "Vittorio Emanuele", Catania, Italy

INTRODUCTION. The complex interplay between cancer cells and immune system allows neoplastic cells to evade immune surveillance and expand. Recently, our and another group have  demonstrated that a subpopulation of myeloid cells, defined as “granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells” (G-MDSC), plays an important role for immune escape in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients by reducing  T cell activation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) on generation of MDSCs by comparing CML MSCs (n=10) with healthy donors (HD) MSC (n=8).

METHODS. G-MDSC (CD11b+CD33+CD14-HLADR- cells) were analyzed in peripheral blood (PB) of 20 healthy donors (HD) and 30 CML patients at diagnosis by cytofluorimetric analysis. Immuno-suppressive activity was tested through incubation of G-MDSC with autologous CFSE-labeled T cells and stimulation with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). Controls included a positive T cell proliferation control (T cells plus PHA) and a negative one (T cells only). After three days, T cell proliferation was analyzed by flow cytometry. For G-MDSC generation, human peripheral blood mononucleated cells (PBMC) from HD were cultured alone and with MSC of CML (n=10) or HD (n=8) (1:100 ratio). After one week, G-MDSC were isolated using anti-CD66b magnetic microbeads and the phenotype was confirmed by cytofluorimetric analysis. Expression of ARG1, NOS2, PTGS2, TNFα, TGFβ, IL6, IL10, IL1β was also evaluated using real time PCR.

RESULTS. Percentage of cells with a G-MDSC phenotype was greater in PB obtained from CML patients than HD (82.5±9.6% vs 56,2±5.4%, p<0.0001). G-MDSC were able to inhibit T cell proliferation compared to positive control (25±5% vs 48±7.6%, p=0.0057). To investigate if CML MSC may be involved in G-MDSC generation, we incubated HD PBMC with CML or HD MSC for one week. After magnetic isolation, we found that only CML MSC-educated G-MDSC acquired immune-suppressive ability, inhibiting T cell proliferation compared to G-MDSCs control (isolated from PBMC cultured in medium alone) (32±12% vs 63±5.9%, p=0.003). On the contrary, HD MSC-educated G-MDSC did not show any suppressive effect. We also found that CML MSC-educated G-MDSC expressed higher level of the following immune modulatory factors: TNFα (20.8±19.3, p=0.006), IL1β (47.3±25.2, p=0.001), PTGS2 (20.7±10.9, p=0.002) and IL6 (33.8±13.9, p=0.004) compared to HD MSC-educated G-MDSCs (arbitrarily 2-ΔΔCt value: 1).  MSC WE also observed  ane an up-regulation of PTGS2 (19±4.4, p=0.04), TGFβ (6±3, p=0.01) and IL6 (5±2.8, p=0.04) in CML MSCs at time 0 with a great variability among the patients (calculated value of 2-ΔΔCt in HD MSC was 1). After 48 h of co-culture with PBMC, CML MSC showed statistically significant up-regulation of ARG1 (23.5±11.9, p=0.02), TGFβ (4.8±3, p=0.04), IL10 (5.6±2.8, p=0.03) and IL6 (54.3±23, p=0.02) expression, suggesting that multiple mechanisms are involved in MDSC induction by CML MSC.

CONCLUSION. Our work demonstrates that CML MSCs are able to activate MDSCs favoring cancer immune evasion in CML patients.

Disclosures: Palumbo: Novartis: Honoraria , Other: Advisory Board .

*signifies non-member of ASH