TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ziegler, Sabrina
A1  - Weiss, Esther
A1  - Schmitt, Anna-Lena
A1  - Schlegel, Jan
A1  - Burgert, Anne
A1  - Terpitz, Ulrich
A1  - Sauer, Markus
A1  - Moretta, Lorenzo
A1  - Sivori, Simona
A1  - Leonhardt, Ines
A1  - Kurzai, Oliver
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Loeffler, Juergen
T1  - CD56 Is a Pathogen Recognition Receptor on Human Natural Killer Cells
JF  - Scientific Reports
N2  - Aspergillus (A.) fumigatus is an opportunistic fungal mold inducing invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients. Although antifungal activity of human natural killer (NK) cells was shown in previous studies, the underlying cellular mechanisms and pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) are still unknown. Using flow cytometry we were able to show that the fluorescence positivity of the surface receptor CD56 significantly decreased upon fungal contact. To visualize the interaction site of NK cells and A. fumigatus we used SEM, CLSM and dSTORM techniques, which clearly demonstrated that NK cells directly interact with A. fumigatus via CD56 and that CD56 is re-organized and accumulated at this interaction site time-dependently. The inhibition of the cytoskeleton showed that the receptor re-organization was an active process dependent on actin re-arrangements. Furthermore, we could show that CD56 plays a role in the fungus mediated NK cell activation, since blocking of CD56 surface receptor reduced fungal mediated NK cell activation and reduced cytokine secretion. These results confirmed the direct interaction of NK cells and A. fumigatus, leading to the conclusion that CD56 is a pathogen recognition receptor. These findings give new insights into the functional role of CD56 in the pathogen recognition during the innate immune response.
KW  - pattern recognition receptors
KW  - fungal infection
KW  - Aspergillus fumigatus
KW  - natural killer cells
Y1  - 2017
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-170637
VL  - 7
IS  - 6138
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Mitchell, Jonathan S.
A1  - Li, Ni
A1  - Weinhold, Niels
A1  - Försti, Asta
A1  - Ali, Mina
A1  - van Duin, Mark
A1  - Thorleifsson, Gudmar
A1  - Johnson, David C.
A1  - Chen, Bowang
A1  - Halvarsson, Britt-Marie
A1  - Gudbjartsson, Daniel F.
A1  - Kuiper, Rowan
A1  - Stephens, Owen W.
A1  - Bertsch, Uta
A1  - Broderick, Peter
A1  - Campo, Chiara
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Gregory, Walter A.
A1  - Gullberg, Urban
A1  - Henrion, Marc
A1  - Hillengass, Jens
A1  - Hoffmann, Per
A1  - Jackson, Graham H.
A1  - Johnsson, Ellinor
A1  - Jöud, Magnus
A1  - Kristinsson, Sigurdur Y.
A1  - Lenhoff, Stig
A1  - Lenive, Oleg
A1  - Mellqvist, Ulf-Henrik
A1  - Migliorini, Gabriele
A1  - Nahi, Hareth
A1  - Nelander, Sven
A1  - Nickel, Jolanta
A1  - Nöthen, Markus M.
A1  - Rafnar, Thorunn
A1  - Ross, Fiona M.
A1  - da Silva Filho, Miguel Inacio
A1  - Swaminathan, Bhairavi
A1  - Thomsen, Hauke
A1  - Turesson, Ingemar
A1  - Vangsted, Annette
A1  - Vogel, Ulla
A1  - Waage, Anders
A1  - Walker, Brian A.
A1  - Wihlborg, Anna-Karin
A1  - Broyl, Annemiek
A1  - Davies, Faith E.
A1  - Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur
A1  - Langer, Christian
A1  - Hansson, Markus
A1  - Kaiser, Martin
A1  - Sonneveld, Pieter
A1  - Stefansson, Kari
A1  - Morgan, Gareth J.
A1  - Goldschmidt, Hartmut
A1  - Hemminki, Kari
A1  - Nilsson, Björn
A1  - Houlston, Richard S.
T1  - Genome-wide association study identifies multiple susceptibility loci for multiple myeloma
JF  - Nature Communications
N2  - Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy with a significant heritable basis. Genome-wide association studies have transformed our understanding of MM predisposition, but individual studies have had limited power to discover risk loci. Here we perform a meta-analysis of these GWAS, add a new GWAS and perform replication analyses resulting in 9,866 cases and 239,188 controls. We confirm all nine known risk loci and discover eight new loci at 6p22.3 (rs34229995, P=1.31 × 10−8), 6q21 (rs9372120, P=9.09 × 10−15), 7q36.1 (rs7781265, P=9.71 × 10−9), 8q24.21 (rs1948915, P=4.20 × 10−11), 9p21.3 (rs2811710, P=1.72 × 10−13), 10p12.1 (rs2790457, P=1.77 × 10−8), 16q23.1 (rs7193541, P=5.00 × 10−12) and 20q13.13 (rs6066835, P=1.36 × 10−13), which localize in or near to JARID2, ATG5, SMARCD3, CCAT1, CDKN2A, WAC, RFWD3 and PREX1. These findings provide additional support for a polygenic model of MM and insight into the biological basis of tumour development.
KW  - Cancer genetics
KW  - Genome-wide association studies
KW  - Myeloma
Y1  - 2016
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165983
VL  - 7
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Lupiañez, Carmen B.
A1  - Villaescusa, Maria T.
A1  - Carvalho, Agostinho
A1  - Springer, Jan
A1  - Lackner, Michaela
A1  - Sánchez-Maldonado, José M.
A1  - Canet, Luz M.
A1  - Cunha, Cristina
A1  - Segura-Catena, Joana
A1  - Alcazar-Fuoli, Laura
A1  - Solano, Carlos
A1  - Fianchi, Luana
A1  - Pagano, Livio
A1  - Potenza, Leonardo
A1  - Aguado, José M.
A1  - Luppi, Mario
A1  - Cuenca-Estrella, Manuel
A1  - Lass-Flörl, Cornelia
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Vázquez, Lourdes
A1  - Ríos-Tamayo, Rafael
A1  - Loeffler, Jürgen
A1  - Jurado, Manuel
A1  - Sainz, Juan
T1  - Common Genetic Polymorphisms within NF kappa B-Related Genes and the Risk of Developing Invasive Aspergillosis
JF  - Frontiers in Microbiology
N2  - Invasive Aspergillosis (IA) is an opportunistic infection caused by Aspergillus, a ubiquitously present airborne pathogenic mold. A growing number of studies suggest a major host genetic component in disease susceptibility. Here, we evaluated whether 14 single-nucleotide polymorphisms within NFκB1, NFκB2, RelA, RelB, Rel, and IRF4 genes influence the risk of IA in a population of 834 high-risk patients (157 IA and 677 non-IA) recruited through a collaborative effort involving the aspBIOmics consortium and four European clinical institutions. No significant overall associations between selected SNPs and the risk of IA were found in this large cohort. Although a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)-stratified analysis revealed that carriers of the IRF4rs12203592T/T genotype had a six-fold increased risk of developing the infection when compared with those carrying the C allele (ORREC = 6.24, 95%CI 1.25–31.2, P = 0.026), the association of this variant with IA risk did not reach significance at experiment-wide significant threshold. In addition, we found an association of the IRF4AATC and IRF4GGTC haplotypes (not including the IRF4rs12203592T risk allele) with a decreased risk of IA but the magnitude of the association was similar to the one observed in the single-SNP analysis, which indicated that the haplotypic effect on IA risk was likely due to the IRF4rs12203592 SNP. Finally, no evidence of significant interactions among the genetic markers tested and the risk of IA was found. These results suggest that the SNPs on the studied genes do not have a clinically relevant impact on the risk of developing IA.
KW  - Invasive Aspergillosis
KW  - genetic polymorphisms
KW  - susceptibility
KW  - NFkB-relatedgenes
KW  - interaction
Y1  - 2016
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165209
VL  - 7
IS  - 1243
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Terpos, Evangelos
A1  - Kleber, Martina
A1  - Engelhardt, Monika
A1  - Zweegman, Sonja
A1  - Gay, Francesca
A1  - Kastritis, Efstathios
A1  - van de Donk, Niels W. C. J.
A1  - Bruno, Benedetto
A1  - Sezer, Orhan
A1  - Broijl, Annemiek
A1  - Bringhen, Sara
A1  - Beksac, Meral
A1  - Larocca, Alessandra
A1  - Hajek, Roman
A1  - Musto, Pellegrino
A1  - Johnsen, Hans Erik
A1  - Morabito, Fortunato
A1  - Ludwig, Heinz
A1  - Cavo, Michele
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Sonneveld, Pieter
A1  - Dimopoulos, Meletios A.
A1  - Palumbo, Antonio
T1  - European Myeloma Network Guidelines for the Management of Multiple Myeloma-related Complications
JF  - Haematologica
N2  - The European Myeloma Network provides recommendations for the management of the most common complications of multiple myeloma. Whole body low-dose computed tomography is more sensitive than conventional radiography in depicting osteolytic disease and thus we recommend it as the novel standard for the detection of lytic lesions in myeloma (grade 1A). Myeloma patients with adequate renal function and bone disease at diagnosis should be treated with zoledronic acid or pamidronate (grade 1A). Symptomatic patients without lytic lesions on conventional radiography can be treated with zoledronic acid (grade 1B), but its advantage is not clear for patients with no bone involvement on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. In asymptomatic myeloma, bisphosphonates are not recommended (grade 1A). Zoledronic acid should be given continuously, but it is not clear if patients who achieve at least a very good partial response benefit from its continuous use (grade 1B). Treatment with erythropoietic-stimulating agents may be initiated in patients with persistent symptomatic anemia (hemoglobin < 10g/dL) in whom other causes of anemia have been excluded (grade 1B). Erythropoietic agents should be stopped after 6-8 weeks if no adequate hemoglobin response is achieved. For renal impairment, bortezomib-based regimens are the current standard of care (grade 1A). For the management of treatment-induced peripheral neuropathy, drug modification is needed (grade 1C). Vaccination against influenza is recommended; vaccination against streptococcus pneumonia and hemophilus influenza is appropriate, but efficacy is not guaranteed due to suboptimal immune response (grade 1C). Prophylactic aciclovir (or valacyclovir) is recommended for patients receiving proteasome inhibitors, autologous or allogeneic transplantation (grade 1A).
KW  - bone-disease
KW  - stem-cell transplantation
KW  - acute kidney injury
KW  - erythropoiesis-stimulating agents
KW  - recombinant-human-erythropoietin
KW  - randomized controlled trial
KW  - group consensus statement
KW  - newly-diagnosed myeloma
KW  - zoledonic acid
KW  - enal impairment
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-141913
VL  - 100
IS  - 10
SP  - 1254
EP  - 1266
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hausmann, Stefan
A1  - Brandt, Evelyn
A1  - Köchel, Carolin
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Bargou, Ralf C.
A1  - Seggewiss-Bernhardt, Ruth
A1  - Stühmer, Thorsten
T1  - Loss of serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 3 (SGK3) does not affect proliferation and survival of multiple myeloma cell lines
JF  - PLoS ONE
N2  - Multiple myeloma (MM) is a generally fatal plasma cell cancer that often shows activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathway. Targeted pharmacologic therapies, however, have not yet progressed beyond the clinical trial stage, and given the complexity of the PI3K/Akt signalling system (e.g. multiple protein isoforms, diverse feedback regulation mechanisms, strong variability between patients) it is mandatory to characterise its ramifications in order to better guide informed decisions about the best therapeutic approaches. Here we explore whether serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 3 (SGK3), a potential downstream effector of PI3K, plays a role in oncogenic signalling in MM cells-either in concert with or independent of Akt. SGK3 was expressed in all MM cell lines and in all primary MM samples tested. Four MM cell lines representing a broad range of intrinsic Akt activation (very strong: MM. 1s, moderate: L 363 and JJN-3, absent: AMO-1) were chosen to test the effects of transient SGK3 knockdown alone and in combination with pharmacological inhibition of Akt, PI3K-p110\(\alpha\), or in the context of serum starvation. Although the electroporation protocol led to strong SGK3 depletion for at least 5 days its absence had no substantial effect on the activation status of potential downstream substrates, or on the survival, viability or proliferation of MM cells in all experimental contexts tested. We conclude that it is unlikely that SGK3 plays a significant role for oncogenic signalling in multiple myeloma.
KW  - Akt
KW  - phosphorylation
KW  - downstream
KW  - mechanism
KW  - pathway
KW  - isoforms
KW  - activation
KW  - cancer
KW  - inhibition
KW  - phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148708
VL  - 10
IS  - 4
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Neuchel, Christine
A1  - Fürst, Daniel
A1  - Niederwieser, Dietger
A1  - Bunjes, Donald
A1  - Tsamadou, Chrysanthi
A1  - Wulf, Gerald
A1  - Pfreundschuh, Michael
A1  - Wagner, Eva
A1  - Stuhler, Gernot
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Schrezenmeier, Hubert
A1  - Mytilineos, Joannis
T1  - Impact of donor activating KIR genes on HSCT outcome in C1-ligand negative myeloid disease patients transplanted with unrelated donors - a retrospective study
JF  - PLOS One
N2  - Natural Killer cells (NK) are lymphocytes with the potential to recognize and lyse cells which escaped T-cell mediated lysis due to their aberrant HLA expression profiles. Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) influence NK-cell activity by mediation of activating or inhibitory signals upon interaction with HLA-C (C1, C2) ligands. Therefore, absence of ligands for donor inhibitory KIRs following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may have an influence on its outcome. Previous studies showed that C1 negative patients have a decreased HSCT outcome. Our study, based on a cohort of 200 C1-negative patients, confirmed these findings for the endpoints: overall survival (OS: HR = 1.41, CI = 1.14–1.74, p = 0.0012), disease free survival (DFS: HR = 1.27, CI = 1.05–1.53, p = 0.015), treatment related mortality (TRM: HR = 1.41, CI = 1.01–1.96, p = 0.04), and relapse incidence (RI: HR = 1.33, CI = 1.01–1.75, p = 0.04) all being inferior when compared to C1-positive patients (n = 1246). Subsequent analysis showed that these findings applied for patients with myeloid malignancies but not for patients with lymphoproliferative diseases (OS: myeloid: HR = 1.51, CI = 1.15–1.99, p = 0.003; lymphoblastic: HR = 1.26, CI = 0.91–1.75, p = 0.16; DFS: myeloid: HR = 1.31, CI = 1.01–1.70, p = 0.04; lymphoblastic: HR = 1.21, CI = 0.90–1.61, p = 0.21; RI: myeloid: HR = 1.31, CI = 1.01–1.70, p = 0.04; lymphoblastic: HR = 1.21, CI = 0.90–1.61, p = 0.21). Interestingly, within the C1-negative patient group, transplantation with KIR2DS2 resulted in better OS (9/10 matched: HR = 0.24, CI = 0.08–0.67, p = 0.007) as well as DFS (9/10 matched: HR = 0,26, CI = 0.11–0.60, p = 0.002), and transplantation with KIR2DS1 positive donors was associated with a decreased RI (HR = 0.30, CI = 0.13–0.69, p = 0.005). TRM was increased when the donor was positive for KIR2DS1 (HR = 2.61, CI = 1.26–5.41, p = 0.001). Our findings suggest that inclusion of KIR2DS1/2/5 and KIR3DS1-genotyping in the unrelated donor search algorithm of C1-ligand negative patients with myeloid malignancies may prove to be of clinical relevance.
KW  - Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
KW  - Cancer risk factors
KW  - Multivariate analysis
KW  - Stem cell transplantation
KW  - T-cells
KW  - Bone marrow transplantation
KW  - NK-cells
KW  - Immune receptor signaling
KW  - Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors
KW  - Acute myeloid leukemia
KW  - Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
KW  - Chronic lymphoblastic leukemia
KW  - Chronic myeloid leukemia
Y1  - 2017
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-180995
VL  - 12
IS  - 1
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Chopra, Martin
A1  - Biehl, Marlene
A1  - Steinfatt, Tim
A1  - Brandl, Andreas
A1  - Kums, Juliane
A1  - Amich, Jorge
A1  - Vaeth, Martin
A1  - Kuen, Janina
A1  - Holtappels, Rafaela
A1  - Podlech, Jürgen
A1  - Mottok, Anja
A1  - Kraus, Sabrina
A1  - Jordán-Garotte, Ana-Laura
A1  - Bäuerlein, Carina A.
A1  - Brede, Christian
A1  - Ribechini, Eliana
A1  - Fick, Andrea
A1  - Seher, Axel
A1  - Polz, Johannes
A1  - Ottmueller, Katja J.
A1  - Baker, Jeannette
A1  - Nishikii, Hidekazu
A1  - Ritz, Miriam
A1  - Mattenheimer, Katharina
A1  - Schwinn, Stefanie
A1  - Winter, Thorsten
A1  - Schäfer, Viktoria
A1  - Krappmann, Sven
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Müller, Thomas D.
A1  - Reddehase, Matthias J.
A1  - Lutz, Manfred B.
A1  - Männel, Daniela N.
A1  - Berberich-Siebelt, Friederike
A1  - Wajant, Harald
A1  - Beilhack, Andreas
T1  - Exogenous TNFR2 activation protects from acute GvHD via host T reg cell expansion
JF  - Journal of Experimental Medicine
N2  - Donor CD4\(^+\)Foxp3\(^+\) regulatory T cells (T reg cells) suppress graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT allo-HCT]). Current clinical study protocols rely on the ex vivo expansion of donor T reg cells and their infusion in high numbers. In this study, we present a novel strategy for inhibiting GvHD that is based on the in vivo expansion of recipient T reg cells before allo-HCT, exploiting the crucial role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) in T reg cell biology. Expanding radiation-resistant host T reg cells in recipient mice using a mouse TNFR2-selective agonist before allo-HCT significantly prolonged survival and reduced GvHD severity in a TNFR2-and T reg cell-dependent manner. The beneficial effects of transplanted T cells against leukemia cells and infectious pathogens remained unaffected. A corresponding human TNFR2-specific agonist expanded human T reg cells in vitro. These observations indicate the potential of our strategy to protect allo-HCT patients from acute GvHD by expanding T reg cells via selective TNFR2 activation in vivo.
KW  - Tumor-necrosis-factor
KW  - Regulatory-cells
KW  - Bone marrow transplantantation
KW  - Graft-versus-leukemia
KW  - Rheumatoid arthritis
KW  - Autoimmune diseases
KW  - Factor receptor
KW  - Alpha therapy
KW  - Expression
KW  - Suppression
Y1  - 2016
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-187640
VL  - 213
IS  - 9
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Keppler, Sarah
A1  - Weißbach, Susann
A1  - Langer, Christian
A1  - Knop, Stefan
A1  - Pischimarov, Jordan
A1  - Kull, Miriam
A1  - Stühmer, Thorsten
A1  - Steinbrunn, Torsten
A1  - Bargou, Ralf
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Rosenwald, Andreas
A1  - Leich, Ellen
T1  - Rare SNPs in receptor tyrosine kinases are negative outcome predictors in multiple myeloma
JF  - Oncotarget
N2  - Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell disorder that is characterized by a great genetic heterogeneity. Recent next generation sequencing studies revealed an accumulation of tumor-associated mutations in receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) which may also contribute to the activation of survival pathways in MM. To investigate the clinical role of RTK-mutations in MM, we deep-sequenced the coding DNA-sequence of EGFR, EPHA2, ERBB3, IGF1R, NTRK1 and NTRK2 which were previously found to be mutated in MM, in 75 uniformly treated MM patients of the “Deutsche Studiengruppe Multiples Myelom”. Subsequently, we correlated the detected mutations with common cytogenetic alterations and clinical parameters. We identified 11 novel non-synonymous SNVs or rare patient-specific SNPs, not listed in the SNP databases 1000 genomes and dbSNP, in 10 primary MM cases. The mutations predominantly affected the tyrosine-kinase and ligand-binding domains and no correlation with cytogenetic parameters was found. Interestingly, however, patients with RTK-mutations, specifically those with rare patient-specific SNPs, showed a significantly lower overall, event-free and progression-free survival. This indicates that RTK SNVs and rare patient-specific RTK SNPs are of prognostic relevance and suggests that MM patients with RTK-mutations could potentially profit from treatment with RTK-inhibitors.
KW  - multiple myeloma
KW  - rare SNP
KW  - amplicon sequencing
KW  - receptor tyrosine kinases
Y1  - 2016
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177840
VL  - 7
IS  - 25
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Morton, Charles O.
A1  - Varga, John J.
A1  - Hornbach, Anke
A1  - Mezger, Markus
A1  - Sennefelder, Helga
A1  - Kneitz, Susanne
A1  - Kurzai, Oliver
A1  - Krappmann, Sven
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Nierman, William C.
A1  - Rogers, Thomas R.
A1  - Loeffler, Juergen
T1  - The Temporal Dynamics of Differential Gene Expression in Aspergillus fumigatus Interacting with Human Immature Dendritic Cells In Vitro
N2  - No abstract avDendritic cells (DC) are the most important antigen presenting cells and play a pivotal role in host immunity to infectious agents by acting as a bridge between the innate and adaptive immune systems. Monocyte-derived immature DCs (iDC) were infected with viable resting conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus (Af293) for 12 hours at an MOI of 5; cells were sampled every three hours. RNA was extracted from both organisms at each time point and hybridised to microarrays. iDC cell death increased at 6 h in the presence of A. fumigatus which coincided with fungal germ tube emergence; .80% of conidia were associated with iDC. Over the time course A. fumigatus differentially regulated 210 genes, FunCat analysis indicated significant up-regulation of genes involved in fermentation, drug transport, pathogenesis and response to oxidative stress. Genes related to cytotoxicity were differentially regulated but the gliotoxin biosynthesis genes were down regulated over the time course, while Aspf1 was up-regulated at 9 h and 12 h. There was an up-regulation of genes in the subtelomeric regions of the genome as the interaction progressed. The genes up-regulated by iDC in the presence of A. fumigatus indicated that they were producing a pro-inflammatory response which was consistent with previous transcriptome studies of iDC interacting with A. fumigatus germ tubes. This study shows that A. fumigatus adapts to phagocytosis by iDCs by utilising genes that allow it to survive the interaction rather than just up-regulation of specific virulence genes.
KW  - Dendritische Zelle
Y1  - 2011
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-68958
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Proetel, Ulrike
A1  - Pletsch, Nadine
A1  - Lauseker, Michael
A1  - Müller, Martin C.
A1  - Hanfstein, Benjamin
A1  - Krause, Stefan W.
A1  - Kalmanti, Lida
A1  - Schreiber, Annette
A1  - Heim, Dominik
A1  - Baerlocher, Gabriela M.
A1  - Hofmann, Wolf-Karsten
A1  - Lange, Elisabeth
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Wernli, Martin
A1  - Kremers, Stephan
A1  - Schlag, Rudolf
A1  - Müller, Lothar
A1  - Hänel, Mathias
A1  - Link, Hartmut
A1  - Hertenstein, Bernd
A1  - Pfirrmann, Markus
A1  - Hochhaus, Andreas
A1  - Hasford, Joerg
A1  - Hehlmann, Rüdiger
A1  - Saußele, Susanne
T1  - Older patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (≥65 years) profit more from higher imatinib doses than younger patients: a subanalysis of the randomized CML-Study IV
JF  - Annals of Hematology
N2  - The impact of imatinib dose on response rates and survival in older patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase has not been studied well. We analyzed data from the German CML-Study IV, a randomized five-arm treatment optimization study in newly diagnosed BCR-ABL-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase. Patients randomized to imatinib 400 mg/day (IM400) or imatinib 800 mg/day (IM800) and stratified according to age (≥65 years vs. <65 years) were compared regarding dose, response, adverse events, rates of progression, and survival. The full 800 mg dose was given after a 6-week run-in period with imatinib 400 mg/day. The dose could then be reduced according to tolerability. A total of 828 patients were randomized to IM400 or IM800. Seven hundred eighty-four patients were evaluable (IM400, 382; IM800, 402). One hundred ten patients (29 %) on IM400 and 83 (21 %) on IM800 were ≥65 years. The median dose per day was lower for patients ≥65 years on IM800, with the highest median dose in the first year (466 mg/day for patients ≥65 years vs. 630 mg/day for patients <65 years). Older patients on IM800 achieved major molecular remission and deep molecular remission as fast as younger patients, in contrast to standard dose imatinib with which older patients achieved remissions much later than younger patients. Grades 3 and 4 adverse events were similar in both age groups. Five-year relative survival for older patients was comparable to that of younger patients. We suggest that the optimal dose for older patients is higher than 400 mg/day. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00055874
KW  - chronic myeloid leukemia
KW  - older patients
KW  - different imatinib dose regimens
KW  - early applied higher imatinib dosages
Y1  - 2014
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121574
SN  - 0939-5555
VL  - 93
IS  - 7
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fuj, Shigeo
A1  - Kapp, Markus
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
T1  - Possible Implication of Bacterial Infection in Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
JF  - Frontiers in Oncology
N2  - Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is still one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In the pathogenesis of acute GVHD, it has been established that donor-derived T-cells activated in the recipient play a major role in GVHD in initiation and maintenance within an inflammatory cascade. To reduce the risk of GVHD, intensification of GVHD prophylaxis like T-cell depletion is effective, but it inevitably increases the risk of infectious diseases and abrogates beneficial graft-versus-leukemia effects. Although various cytokines are considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of GVHD, GVHD initiation is such a complex process that cannot be prevented by means of single inflammatory cytokine inhibition. Thus, efficient methods to control the whole inflammatory milieu both on cellular and humoral view are needed. In this context, infectious diseases can theoretically contribute to an elevation of inflammatory cytokines after allogeneic HSCT and activation of various subtypes of immune effector cells, which might in summary lead to an aggravation of acute GVHD. The appropriate treatments or prophylaxis of bacterial infection during the early phase after allogeneic HSCT might be beneficial to reduce not only infectious-related but also GVHD-related mortality. Here, we aim to review the literature addressing the interactions of bacterial infections and GVHD after allogeneic HSCT.
KW  - pathogen-associated molecular patterns
KW  - LPS
KW  - GVHD
KW  - bacterial infection
KW  - allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Y1  - 2014
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-120674
SN  - 2234-943X
VL  - 4
IS  - 89
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bedke, Tanja
A1  - Iannitti, Rossana G.
A1  - De Luca, Antonella
A1  - Giovannini, Gloria
A1  - Fallarino, Francesca
A1  - Berges, Carsten
A1  - Latgé, Jean-Paul
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Romani, Luigina
A1  - Topp, Max S.
T1  - Distinct and complementary roles for Aspergillus fumigatus-specific Tr1 and \(Foxp3^+\) regulatory T cells in humans and mice
JF  - Immunology and Cell Biology
N2  - Unlike induced \(Foxp3^+\) regulatory T cells (\(Foxp3^+\) \(iT_{reg}\)) that have been shown to play an essential role in the development of protective immunity to the ubiquitous mold Aspergillus fumigatus, type-(1)-regulatory T cells (Tr1) cells have, thus far, not been implicated in this process. Here, we evaluated the role of Tr1 cells specific for an epitope derived from the cell wall glucanase Crf-1 of A. fumigatus (Crf-1/p41) in antifungal immunity. We identified Crf-1/p41-specific latent-associated \(peptide^+\) Tr1 cells in healthy humans and mice after vaccination with Crf-1/p41+zymosan. These cells produced high amounts of interleukin (IL)-10 and suppressed the expansion of antigen-specific T cells in vitro and in vivo. In mice, in vivo differentiation of Tr1 cells was dependent on the presence of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, c-Maf and IL-27. Moreover, in comparison to Tr1 cells, \(Foxp3^+\) \(iT_{reg}\) that recognize the same epitope were induced in an interferon gamma-type inflammatory environment and more potently suppressed innate immune cell activities. Overall, our data show that Tr1 cells are involved in the maintenance of antifungal immune homeostasis, and most likely play a distinct, yet complementary, role compared with \(Foxp3^+\) \(iT_{reg}\).
Y1  - 2014
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121449
VL  - 92
IS  - 8
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Danhof, Sophia
A1  - Schreder, Martin
A1  - Strifler, Susanne
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Knop, Stefan
T1  - Long-Term Disease Control by Pomalidomide-/Dexamethasone-Based Therapy in a Patient with Advanced Multiple Myeloma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
JF  - Case Reports in Oncology
N2  - Background: Therapy for multiple myeloma (MM) has substantially improved in the era of immunomodulatory drugs and bortezomib. However, the prognosis of patients with progressive disease despite treatment with these ‘novel agents' remains poor. Recently, pomalidomide was approved in this setting, but a median progression-free survival of <4 months still leaves room for improvement. Pomalidomide-based combination therapies are currently under investigation, but data on long-term treatment are lacking. Case Report: We present the case of a 68-year-old woman with refractory MM who received pomalidomide in combination with various drugs including anthracyclines, alkylators and proteasome inhibitors. Initially, major hematological toxicities and infectious complications including a hepatitis B virus reactivation were encountered. With careful dose adjustments and selection of combination partners, pomalidomide treatment was maintained for over 4 years and led to a sustained partial remission. In particular, the well-tolerated regimen of bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone together with pomalidomide was administered for >30 cycles. Conclusion: This case illustrates the value of an individualized approach to myeloma care given an increasing availability of ‘novel agents'. Tailored treatment using these drugs as a backbone is essential to achieve long-lasting responses and minimize side effects.
KW  - Hepatitis B virus reactivation
KW  - pomalidomide
KW  - combination therapy
KW  - multiple myeloma
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126093
VL  - 8
IS  - 1
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hirsch, Hans H.
A1  - Martino, Rodrigo
A1  - Ward, Katherine N.
A1  - Boeckh, Michael
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Ljungman, Per
T1  - Fourth European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL-4): Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Parainfluenza Virus, Metapneumovirus, Rhinovirus, and Coronavirus
JF  - Clinical Infectious Diseases
N2  - Community-acquired respiratory virus (CARV) infections have been recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with leukemia and those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Progression to lower respiratory tract infection with clinical and radiological signs of pneumonia and respiratory failure appears to depend on the intrinsic virulence of the specific CARV as well as factors specific to the patient, the underlying disease, and its treatment. To better define the current state of knowledge of CARVs in leukemia and HSCT patients, and to improve CARV diagnosis and management, a working group of the Fourth European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL-4) 2011 reviewed the literature on CARVs, graded the available quality of evidence, and made recommendations according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America grading system. Owing to differences in screening, clinical presentation, and therapy for influenza and adenovirus, ECIL-4 recommendations are summarized for CARVs other than influenza and adenovirus.
KW  - hematopoietic
KW  - leukemia
KW  - transplantation
KW  - respiratory virus
KW  - bone marrow transplantation
Y1  - 2013
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-124758
VL  - 56
IS  - 2
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Zhou, Xiang
A1  - Rasche, Leo
A1  - Kortüm, K. Martin
A1  - Danhof, Sophia
A1  - Hudecek, Michael
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
T1  - Toxicities of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy in Multiple Myeloma: An Overview of Experience From Clinical Trials, Pathophysiology, and Management Strategies
JF  - Frontiers in Immunology
N2  - In the last few years, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) such as elotuzumab and daratutumab have brought the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) into the new era of immunotherapy. More recently, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T cell, a novel cellular immunotherapy, has been developed for treatment of relapsed/refractory (RR) MM, and early phase clinical trials have shown promising efficacy of CAR T cell therapy. Many patients with end stage RRMM regard CAR T cell therapy as their “last chance” and a “hope of cure”. However, severe adverse events (AEs) and even toxic death related to CAR T cell therapy have been observed. The management of AEs related to CAR T cell therapy represents a new challenge, as the pathophysiology is not fully understood and there is still no well-established standard of management. With regard to CAR T cell associated toxicities in MM, in this review, we will provide an overview of experience from clinical trials, pathophysiology, and management strategies.
KW  - CAR T cell
KW  - clinical trial
KW  - multiple myeloma
KW  - toxicity
KW  - pathophysiology
KW  - management
Y1  - 2020
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-219911
SN  - 1664-3224
VL  - 11
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Lauruschkat, Chris D.
A1  - Etter, Sonja
A1  - Schnack, Elisabeth
A1  - Ebel, Frank
A1  - Schäuble, Sascha
A1  - Page, Lukas
A1  - Rümens, Dana
A1  - Dragan, Mariola
A1  - Schlegel, Nicolas
A1  - Panagiotou, Gianni
A1  - Kniemeyer, Olaf
A1  - Brakhage, Axel A.
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Wurster, Sebastian
A1  - Loeffler, Juergen
T1  - Chronic occupational mold exposure drives expansion of Aspergillus-reactive type 1 and type 2 T-helper cell responses
JF  - Journal of Fungi
N2  - Occupational mold exposure can lead to Aspergillus-associated allergic diseases including asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Elevated IL-17 levels or disbalanced T-helper (Th) cell expansion were previously linked to Aspergillus-associated allergic diseases, whereas alterations to the Th cell repertoire in healthy occupationally exposed subjects are scarcely studied. Therefore, we employed functional immunoassays to compare Th cell responses to A. fumigatus antigens in organic farmers, a cohort frequently exposed to environmental molds, and non-occupationally exposed controls. Organic farmers harbored significantly higher A. fumigatus-specific Th-cell frequencies than controls, with comparable expansion of Th1- and Th2-cell frequencies but only slightly elevated Th17-cell frequencies. Accordingly, Aspergillus antigen-induced Th1 and Th2 cytokine levels were strongly elevated, whereas induction of IL-17A was minimal. Additionally, increased levels of some innate immune cell-derived cytokines were found in samples from organic farmers. Antigen-induced cytokine release combined with Aspergillus-specific Th-cell frequencies resulted in high classification accuracy between organic farmers and controls. Aspf22, CatB, and CipC elicited the strongest differences in Th1 and Th2 responses between the two cohorts, suggesting these antigens as potential candidates for future bio-effect monitoring approaches. Overall, we found that occupationally exposed agricultural workers display a largely balanced co-expansion of Th1 and Th2 immunity with only minor changes in Th17 responses.
KW  - mold exposure
KW  - immunoassay
KW  - biomarker
KW  - Aspergillus
KW  - cytokines
KW  - inflammation
KW  - adaptive immunity
KW  - hypersensitivity
Y1  - 2021
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-245202
SN  - 2309-608X
VL  - 7
IS  - 9
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Rasche, Leo
A1  - Duell, Johannes
A1  - Morgner, Charlotte
A1  - Chatterjee, Manik
A1  - Hensel, Frank
A1  - Rosenwald, Andreas
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Topp, Max S.
A1  - Brändlein, Stephanie
T1  - The Natural Human IgM Antibody PAT-SM6 Induces Apoptosis in Primary Human Multiple Myeloma Cells by Targeting Heat Shock Protein GRP78
JF  - PLoS ONE
N2  - In contrast to other haematological malignancies, targeted immunotherapy has not entered standard treatment regimens for de novo or relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) yet. While a number of IgG-formatted monoclonal antibodies are currently being evaluated in clinical trials in MM, our study aimed to investigate whether the fully human IgM monoclonal antibody PAT-SM6 that targets a tumour-specific variant of the heat shock protein GRP78 might be an attractive candidate for future immunotherapeutic approaches. We here show that GRP78 is stably and consistently expressed on the surface on tumour cells from patients with de novo, but also relapsed MM and that binding of PAT-SM6 to MM cells can specifically exert cytotoxic effects on malignant plasma cells, whereas non-malignant cells are not targeted. We demonstrate that the induction of apoptosis and, to a lesser extent, complement dependent cytotoxicity is the main mode of action of PAT-SM6, whereas antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity does not appear to contribute to the cytotoxic properties of this antibody. Given the favourable safety profile of PAT-SM6 in monkeys, but also in a recent phase I trial in patients with malignant melanoma, our results form the basis for a planned phase I study in patients with relapsed MM.
KW  - cytotoxicity
KW  - apoptosis
KW  - immunohistochemistry techniques
KW  - enzyme-linked immunoassays
KW  - multiple myeloma
KW  - cell staining
KW  - cell binding
KW  - complement system
Y1  - 2013
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-130125
VL  - 8
IS  - 5
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Chatterjee, Manik
A1  - Andrulis, Mindaugas
A1  - Stühmer, Thorsten
A1  - Müller, Elisabeth
A1  - Hofmann, Claudia
A1  - Steinbrunn, Torsten
A1  - Heimberger, Tanja
A1  - Schraud, Heike
A1  - Kressmann, Stefanie
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
A1  - Bargou, Ralf C.
T1  - The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway regulates the expression of Hsp70, which critically contributes to Hsp90-chaperone function and tumor cell survival in multiple myeloma
JF  - Haematologica
N2  - Despite therapeutic advances multiple myeloma remains largely incurable, and novel therapeutic concepts are needed. The Hsp90-chaperone is a reasonable therapeutic target, because it maintains oncogenic signaling of multiple deregulated pathways. However, in contrast to promising pre-clinical results, only limited clinical efficacy has been achieved through pharmacological Hsp90 inhibition. Because Hsp70 has been described to interact functionally with the Hsp90-complex, we analyzed the suitability of Hsp72 and Hsp73 as potential additional target sites. Expression of Hsp72 and Hsp73 in myeloma cells was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. Short interfering RNA-mediated knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of Hsp72 and Hsp73 was performed to evaluate the role of these proteins in myeloma cell survival and for Hsp90-chaperone function. Furthermore, the role of PI3K-dependent signaling in constitutive and inducible Hsp70 expression was investigated using short interfering RNA-mediated and pharmacological PI3K inhibition. Hsp72 and Hsp73 were frequently overexpressed in multiple myeloma. Knockdown of Hsp72 and/or Hsp73 or treatment with VER-155008 induced apoptosis of myeloma cells. Hsp72/Hsp73 inhibition decreased protein levels of Hsp90-chaperone clients affecting multiple oncogenic signaling pathways, and acted synergistically with the Hsp90 inhibitor NVP-AUY922 in the induction of death of myeloma cells. Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/GSK3b pathway with short interfering RNA or PI103 decreased expression of the heat shock transcription factor 1 and down-regulated constitutive and inducible Hsp70 expression. Treatment of myeloma cells with a combination of NVP-AUY922 and PI103 resulted in additive to synergistic cytotoxicity. In conclusion, Hsp72 and Hsp73 sustain Hsp90-haperone function and critically contribute to the survival of myeloma cells. Translation of Hsp70 inhibition into the clinic is therefore highly desirable. Treatment with PI3K inhibitors might represent an alternative therapeutic strategy to target Hsp70.
KW  - Haematology
Y1  - 2013
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-130574
VL  - 98
IS  - 7
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fuji, Shigeo
A1  - Kapp, Markus
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
T1  - Monitoring of Pathogen-Specific T-Cell Immune Reconstitution after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
JF  - Frontiers in Immunology
N2  - The clinical outcome after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been significantly improved during the last decades with regard to the reduction in organ failure, infection, and severe acute graft-versus-host disease. However, severe complications due to infectious diseases are still one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic HSCT, in particular in patients receiving haploidentical HSCT or cord blood transplant due to a slow and often incomplete immune reconstitution. In order to improve the immune control of pathogens without an increased risk of alloreactivity, adoptive immunotherapy using highly enriched pathogen-specificT cells offers a promising approach. In order to identify patients who are at high risk for infectious diseases, several monitoring assays have been developed with potential for the guidance of immunosuppressive drugs and adoptive immunotherapy in clinical practice. In this article, we aim to give a comprehensive overview regarding current developments of T-cell monitoring techniques focusing on T cells against viruses and fungi. In particular, we will focus on rather simple, fast, non-labor-intensive, cellular assays which could be integrated in routine clinical screening approaches.
KW  - immune reconstitution
KW  - virus
KW  - fungi
KW  - T cell
KW  - allogeneic stem cell transplantation
Y1  - 2013
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-129250
VL  - 4
IS  - 276
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fuji, Shigeo
A1  - Kapp, Markus
A1  - Einsele, Hermann
T1  - Alloreactivity of virus-specific T cells: possible implication of graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia effects
JF  - Frontiers in Immunology
N2  - Immune reconstitution of functional virus-specific T cells after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been intensively investigated. However, the possible role of crossreactivity of these virus-specific T cells against allogeneic targets is still unclear. Theoretically, as in the field of organ transplantation, virus-specific T cells possess crossreactivity potential after allogeneic HSCT. Such crossreactivity is assumed to play a role in graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia effects. In this article, we aim to give a comprehensive overview of current understanding about crossreactivity of virus-specific T cells.
KW  - mismatch
KW  - allogeneic stem cell transplantation
KW  - GVHD
KW  - HLA antigens
KW  - GVL
KW  - virus-specific T-cell
Y1  - 2013
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-129260
VL  - 4
IS  - 330
ER  -