Compositions and treatments for myelosuppression by ex vivo activated immune cells

Patent Number: 7,332,158

Failure/suppression of the hematopoietic can be a deadly consequence of over-aggressive administration of chemotherapeutics/radiotherapy. The global market for agents that stimulate hematopoiesis, particularly granulopoiesis is in the billions of dollars per year, as witnessed by the success of Amgen’s Neuopgen and Neulasta products. The current patent teaches a novel, and arguably more natural way of stimulating the hematopoietic system.

Essentially the inventor covers several methods of introducing “activated” blood cells into a myelosuppressed patient in order to accelerate hematopoietic recovery. It is known that immune cells produce various cytokines involved in engraftment and stimulation of hematopoiesis. The inventor is simply thinking that synergistic efficacy may be obtained if one administers a “symphony of cytokines” as opposed to one recombinant cytokine. The patent is also interesting since administration of the activated white blood cells is not restricted to autologous blood but also to allogeneic cells.

One area of possible concern, however, is that some of the cytokines associated with activation of blood cells may actually suppress the hematopoietic system. For example, interferon gamma is known to be produced when peripheral blood mononuclear cells are activated with a calcium ionophore and a cytokine, or ligation of CD3. Interferon gamma inhibits CD34 cells and in some cases actually kills them. The same can be said for several other inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha. Perhaps the best way to improve this patent is to mix infliximab with the supernatant so as to deplete inflammatory components of the “therapeutic mix”.

View this patent on the USPTO website.