Therapy of human tumors in NOD/SCID mice with patient-derived reactivated memory T cells from bone marrow

In an analysis of 84 primary-operated breast cancer patients and 11 healthy donors, we found that the bone marrow of most patients contained memory T cells with specificity for tumor-associated antigens. Patients' bone marrow and peripheral blood contained CD8(+) T cells that specifically bound HLA/ peptide tetramers. In short-term culture with autologous dendritic cells pr e-pulsed with tumor lysates, patients' memory T cells from bone marrow (but not peripheral blood) could be specifically reactivated to interferon-gamm a -producing and cytotoxic effector cells. A single transfer of restimulate d bone-marrow T cells into NOD/SCID mice caused regression of autologous tu mor xenotransplants associated with infiltration by human T cells and tumor -cell apoptosis and necrosis. T cells from peripheral blood showed much low er anti-tumor reactivity. Our findings reveal an innate, specific recogniti on of breast cancer antigens and point to a possible novel cancer therapy u sing patients' bone-marrow-derived memory T cells.