Background

Despite the efficacy of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) and CAR-T cell therapy in treating blood cancers, a significant number of patients relapse and/or experience post-treatment complications. The objectives of this project are to examine distinct immune cell subsets, analyse the cytokine secretome and establish correlations with clinical outcomes to identify potential prognostic biomarkers for treatment response.

Aims

• Prospectively monitor patients and biobank samples at serial time points post allogeneic stem cell transplantation and CAR-T cell therapy.
• Examine immune cell subsets and killer cell immunoglobin-like receptor (KIR) profiles in the allogeneic stem transplant cohort.
• Examine immune cell subsets, CAR-T cell persistence and exhaustion marker phenotypes in the CAR-T cell therapy cohort.
• Identify determinants of successful immune reconstitution and favourable clinical outcomes after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and CAR-T cell therapy.
• Identify determinants of unsuccessful immune reconstitution and poor clinical outcomes post-allo-SCT and CAR-T cell therapy.

Principal Investigators

1. Dr Nicola Gardiner: Cryobiology Laboratory Stem Cell Facility, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin.
2. Prof. Derek G. Doherty: Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College, Dublin.
3. Prof. Tor Hervig: Irish Blood Transfusion Service, Dublin.
4. Dr Tony Mc Elligott: Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College, Dublin.

Cellular Therapy Research Group (CTRG)

1. St James Hospital
   • Ms Hayley Foy-Stones, Medical Scientist, PhD candidate, Cryobiology Laboratory
   • Dr Nicola Gardiner, Chief Medical Scientist, Cryobiology Laboratory
   • Prof Larry Bacon, Consultant Haematologist, CAR T Clinical Lead
   • Dr Nina Orfali, Consultant Haematologist
   • Dr Chris Armstrong, Specialist Registrar, MD Candidate,
   • Deirdre Waldron, Specialist Medical Scientist, Haematology Laboratory
   • Dr Rob Henderson, Consultant Haematologist,
2. Irish Blood Transfusion Service
   • Prof Tor Hervig, Medical & Scientific Director
   • Dr Allison Waters, Research & Development Lead
   • Dr Richard Hagan, Chief Medical Scientist, National Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Reference Laboratory
   • Dr Diarmuid O Donghaile, Consultant Haematologist
3. Trinity Translational Medicine Institute
   • Prof Derek Doherty, Cellular Immunology
   • Dr Tony McElligott, Haematology
   • Prof Joanne Lysaght, Cancer Immunology
   • Dr Aoife Marie Kilgallon, Cancer Immunology
4. Trinity College Dublin
   • Prof Nicki Panolskalatis, School of Pharmacy
   • Prof Sakis Mantalaris, Don Panoz Chair, School of Pharmacy
   • Prof Clair Gardiner, Biochemistry & Immunology