Cytokine-Induced Memory-Like NK Cells with High Reactivity against Acute Leukemia Blasts and Solid Tumor Cells Suitable for Adoptive Immunotherapy Approaches.

The limited efficacy of Natural Killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy results in part from the suboptimal expansion and persistence of the infused cells. Recent reports suggest that the generation of NK cells with memory-like properties upon in vitro activation with defined cytokines might be an effective way of ensuring long-lasting NK cell function in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that activation with IL-12, IL-15 and IL-18 followed by a one-week culture with optimal doses of Interleukin (IL-2) and IL-15 generates substantial numbers of memory-like NK cells able to persist for at least three weeks when injected into NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice.

Harnessing T Cells to Control Infections After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Dramatic progress in the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) from alternative sources in pediatric patients has been registered over the past decade, providing a chance to cure children and adolescents in need of a transplant. Despite these advances, transplant-related mortality due to infectious complications remains a major problem, principally reflecting the inability of the depressed host immune system to limit infection replication and dissemination. In addition, development of multiple infections, a common occurrence after high-risk allo-HSCT, has important implications for overall survival.

Intracavitary electrocardiography-guided positioning of central vascular access device can spare unnecessary ionizing radiation exposure in pediatric patients.

Background: Most hospital protocols-including those of our own institute-require the use of radiography to validate tip position in every central vascular access device placement. This study evaluated whether unnecessary ionizing radiation exposure could be spared in the pediatric population when intracavitary electrocardiography is used to guide catheter placement.

Material And Methods: Retrospective study of intracavitary electrocardiography-guided central vascular access device placements in our pediatric surgery department between 2013 and 2018.

Generation of donor-derived Wilms tumor antigen 1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes with potent anti-leukemia activity for somatic cell therapy in children given haploidentical stem cell transplantation: a feasibility pre-clinical study.

Background: The Wilms tumor antigen 1 (WT1) is over-expressed in a vast majority of adult and childhood acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, being lowly or transiently expressed in normal tissues and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). A number of HLA-restricted WT1 epitopes are immunogenic, allowing the in vitro induction of WT1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) from patients and healthy donors.

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of producing WT1-specific CTLs suitable for somatic cell therapy to prevent or treat relapse in children with acute myeloid or lymphoblastic leukemia given haploidentical HSC transplantation (haplo-HSCT).

Unrelated donor vs HLA-haploidentical α/β T-cell- and B-cell-depleted HSCT in children with acute leukemia.

Traditionally, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from both HLA-matched related and unrelated donors (UD) has been used for treating children with acute leukemia (AL) in need of an allograft. Recently, HLA-haploidentical HSCT after αβ T-cell/B-cell depletion (αβhaplo-HSCT) was shown to be effective in single-center studies. Here, we report the first multicenter retrospective analysis of 127 matched UD (MUD), 118 mismatched UD (MMUD), and 98 αβhaplo-HSCT recipients, transplanted between 2010 and 2015, in 13 Italian centers.

Failure to remove de novo donor-specific HLA antibodies is influenced by antibody properties and identifies kidney recipients with late antibody-mediated rejection destined to graft loss - a retrospective study.

Current research is focusing on identifying bioclinical parameters for risk stratification of renal allograft loss, largely due to antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). We retrospectively investigated graft outcome predictors in 24 unsensitized pediatric kidney recipients developing HLA de novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSAs), and treated for late AMR with plasmapheresis + low-dose IVIG + Rituximab or high-dose IVIG + Rituximab. Renal function and DSA properties were assessed before and longitudinally post treatment.

Automated red blood cell depletion in ABO incompatible grafts in the pediatric setting.

Bone marrow ABO incompatible transplantations require graft manipulation prior to infusion to avoid potentially lethal side effects. We analyzed the influence of pre-manipulation factors (temperature at arrival, transit time, time of storage at 4°C until processing and total time from collection to red blood cell depletion) on the graft quality of 21 red blood cell depletion procedures in ABO incompatible pediatric transplants. Bone marrow collections were processed using the Spectra Optia (Terumo BCT) automated device.

Central precocious puberty and granulosa cell ovarian tumor in an 8-year old female.

Ovarian tumors associated with hormonal changes of the peripheral iso-sexual precocious puberty are of common presentation. We describe here a rare case of juvenile granulosa cell tumor in a female with central precocious puberty (CPP). An 8-year old girl with CPP presented with vaginal bleeding four months after the diagnosis and before starting treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-analogs.