Long term follow up of patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and transfusion of HSV-TK transduced T-cells.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is one of the curative treatments for hematologic malignancies, but is hampered by severe complications, such as acute or chronic graft-versus-host-disease (aGvHD; cGvHD) and infections. CD34-selection of stem cells reduces the risk of aGvHD, but also leads to increased infectious complications and relapse. Thus, we studied the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of transfer of gene modified donor T-cells shortly after allo-HSCT in two clinical trials between 2002 and 2007 and here we compare the results to unmodified donor leukocyte infusion (DLI).

Kinetics of the in vivo expression of glucocorticoid receptor splice variants during prednisone treatment in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Background: The in vivo glucocorticoid response in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) correlates with the response to multi-agent chemotherapy. However, it is still unclear, whether the expression levels of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) splice variants facilitate the escape from glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis and hence contribute to glucocorticoid resistance.

Procedure: In the present study, the initial in vivo expression of the common GR (cGR) and its splice variants GR-alpha, GR-gamma and GR-P was determined using a quantitative RT-PCR approach.

Expression and structural analysis of glucocorticoid receptor isoform gamma in human leukaemia cells using an isoform-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction approach.

Glucocorticoids are broadly used for chemotherapy in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The intracellular effects of glucocorticoids are mediated through the glucocorticoid receptor. The human glucocorticoid receptor gamma isoform (hGR-gamma) differs from the main isoform (hGR-alpha) by an additional amino acid within the DNA binding domain of the receptor protein.