Anti third party central memory t cells, methods of producing same and use of same in transplantation and disease treatment

摘要

Disclosed is a method of generating an isolated population of cells comprising non-graft versus host (GVHD) anti-third party cells having a central memory T-lymphocyte (Tcm) phenotype, said cells being tolerance-inducing cells and/or endowed with anti-disease activity, and capable of homing to the lymph nodes following transplantation, the method comprising: (a) contacting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with a third party antigen or antigens in the presence of IL-21 so as to allow enrichment of antigen reactive cells; and (b) culturing said cells resulting from step (a) in the presence of IL-21, IL-15 and IL-7 in an antigen free environment so as to allow proliferation of cells comprising said central memory T-lymphocyte (Tcm) phenotype, thereby generating the isolated population of cells.