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Adoptive immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of chronic infections and cancer. T cells within a certain range of high avidity for their cognate ligand are believed to be most effective. T cell receptor (TCR) transfer experiments indicate that a major part of avidity is hardwired within the structure of the TCR. Unfortunately, rapid measurement of structural avidity of TCRs is difficult on living T cells. We developed a technology where dissociation (koff rate) of truly monomeric peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecules bound to surface-expressed TCRs can be monitored by real-time microscopy in a highly reliable manner. A first evaluation of this method on distinct human cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T cell populations revealed unexpected differences in the koff rates. CMV-specific T cells are currently being evaluated in clinical trials for efficacy in adoptive immunotherapy; therefore, determination of koff rates could guide selection of the most effective donor cells. Indeed, in two different murine infection models, we demonstrate that T cell populations with lower koff rates confer significantly better protection than populations with fast koff rates. These data indicate that koff rate measurements can improve the predictability of adoptive immunotherapy and provide diagnostic information on the in vivo quality of T cells.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease with multiple organ manifestations is the most feared viral complication limiting the success of hematopoietic cell transplantation as a therapy of hematopoietic malignancies. A timely endogenous reconstitution of CD8 T cells controls CMV infection, and adoptive transfer of antiviral CD8 T cells is a therapeutic option to prevent CMV disease by bridging the gap between an early CMV reactivation and delayed endogenous reconstitution of protective immunity. Preclinical research in murine models has provided 'proof of concept' for CD8 T-cell therapy of CMV disease. Protection by CD8 T cells appears to be in conflict with the finding that CMVs encode proteins that inhibit antigen presentation to CD8 T cells by interfering with the constitutive trafficking of peptide-loaded MHC class I molecules (pMHC-I complexes) to the cell surface. Here, we have systematically explored antigen presentation in the presence of the three currently noted immune evasion proteins of murine CMV in all possible combinations and its modulation by pre-treatment of cells with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). The data reveal improvement in antigen processing by pre-treatment with IFN-γ can almost overrule the inhibitory function of immune evasion molecules in terms of pMHC-I expression levels capable of triggering most of the specific CD8 T cells, though the intensity of stimulation did not retrieve their full functional capacity. Notably, an in vivo conditioning of host tissue cells with IFN-γ in adoptive cell transfer recipients constitutively overexpressing IFN-γ (B6-SAP-IFN-γ mice) enhanced the antiviral efficiency of CD8 T cells in this transgenic cytoimmunotherapy model.

Reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the transient state of immunodeficiency after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the most frequent and severe viral complication endangering leukemia therapy success. By infecting the bone marrow (BM) stroma of the transplantation recipient, CMV can directly interfere with BM repopulation by the transplanted donor-derived hematopoietic cells and thus delay immune reconstitution of the recipient. Cytopathogenic virus spread in tissues can result in CMV disease with multiple organ manifestations of which interstitial pneumonia is the most feared. There exists a 'window of risk' between hematoablative treatment and reconstitution of antiviral immunity after HCT, whereby timely reconstitution of antiviral CD8 T cells is a recognized positive prognostic parameter for the control of reactivated CMV infection and prevention of CMV disease. Supplementation of endogenous reconstitution by adoptive cell transfer of 'ready-to-go' effector and/or memory virus epitope-specific CD8 T cells is a therapeutic option to bridge the 'window of risk.' Preclinical research in murine models of CMV disease has been pivotal by providing 'proof of concept' for a benefit from CD8 T-cell therapy of HCT-associated CMV disease (reviewed in Holtappels et al. Med Microbiol Immunol 197:125-134, 2008). Here, we give an update of our previous review with focus on parameters that determine the efficacy of adoptive immunotherapy of CMV infection by antiviral CD8 T cells in the murine model.

Cytomegaloviruses express glycoproteins that interfere with antigen presentation to CD8 T cells. Although the molecular modes of action of these "immunoevasins" differ between cytomegalovirus species, the convergent biological outcome is an inhibition of the recognition of infected cells. In murine cytomegalovirus, m152/gp40 retains peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex class I molecules in a cis-Golgi compartment, m06/gp48 mediates their vesicular sorting for lysosomal degradation, and m04/gp34, although not an immunoevasin in its own right, appears to assist in the concerted action of all three molecules. Using the L(d)-restricted IE1 epitope YPHFMPTNL in the BALB/c mouse model as a paradigm, we provide here an explanation for the paradox that immunoevasins enhance CD8 T-cell priming although they inhibit peptide presentation in infected cells. Adaptive immune responses are initiated in the regional lymph node (RLN) draining the site of pathogen exposure. In particular for antigens that are not virion components, the magnitude of viral gene expression providing the antigens is likely a critical parameter in priming efficacy. We have therefore focused on the events in the RLN and have related priming to intranodal viral gene expression. We show that immunoevasins enhance priming by downmodulating an early CD8 T-cell-mediated "negative feedback" control of the infection in the cortical region of the RLN, thus supporting the model that immunoevasins improve antigen supply for indirect priming by uninfected antigen-presenting cells. As an important consequence, these findings predict that deletion of immunoevasin genes in a replicative vaccine virus is not a favorable option but may, rather, be counterproductive.

Murine cytomegalovirus encodes three regulators of antigen presentation to antiviral CD8 T cells. According to current paradigms, all three regulators are committed to the inhibition of the presentation of antigenic peptides. Whereas m152/gp40 catalyzes the retention of peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules in a cis-Golgi compartment, m06/gp48 binds stably to class I molecules and directs them into the cellular cargo-sorting pathway of lysosomal degradation. Regulator m04/gp34 also binds stably to class I molecules, but unlike m152 and m06, it does not downmodulate MHC class I cell surface expression. It has entered the literature as a direct inhibitor of T-cell recognition of the MHC-peptide complex at the cell surface. In this work, we have studied the presentation of antigenic viral peptides in cells infected with a comprehensive set of mutant viruses expressing the three regulators separately as well as in all possible combinations. The results redefine m04 as a positive regulator dedicated to the facilitation of antigen presentation. When expressed alone, it did not inhibit T-cell recognition, and when expressed in the presence of m152, it restored antigen presentation by antagonizing the inhibitory function of m152. Its intrinsic positive function, however, was antagonized and even slightly overcompensated for by the negative regulator m06. In an adoptive cell transfer model, the opposing forces of the three regulators were found to govern immune surveillance in the infected host. While negative regulators, also known as immunoevasins, are common, the existence of a positive regulator is without precedent and indicates an intriguing genetic potential of this virus to influence antigen presentation.