“Today, we know that virus-specific T-cells can help protect patients from dangerous viruses after stem cell transplants,” says Michael Keller, M.D. “Through this research, we used the same therapy and approach, but applied it pre-transplant with the hope of providing the same benefit of protection against life-threatening viruses to patients who need it the most.”

Experts at Children’s National Health System have been successfully studying the use of virus-specific T-cells (VST) to help protect immunocompromised patients from life-threatening viruses after bone marrow transplants. Research published recently in the Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation presents promising new findings from testing the use of these same VSTs before transplant to help give patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) a better chance at long-term survival.

Babies born with SCID are highly susceptible to severe infections that are often fatal if not treated with immune-restoring treatments, like hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT). However, undergoing an HSCT with an infection present has shown to lead to a decrease in survival at two years old for SCID patients when compared to those who start the HSCT infection-free. The study lead, Michael Keller, M.D., hypothesized that the success of HSCTs in SCID patients may be improved by controlling severe viral infections before the patient undergoes the transplant.

“Today, we know that virus-specific T-cells can help protect patients from dangerous viruses after stem cell transplants,” says Dr. Keller. “Through this research, we used the same therapy and approach, but applied it pre-transplant with the hope of providing the same benefit of protection against life-threatening viruses to patients who need it the most.”

Dr. Keller administered the VSTs from a healthy third-party donor in a five-month-old infant fighting adenovirus before undergoing a HSCT to cure him of SCID. Today, the baby is healthy and has a normal immune system. Ultimately, this research shows that the use of VSTs is likely safe in the pre-HSCT period in patients with SCID and may be an effective therapy for viral infections when they are resistant to antiviral therapy.

“I believe this VST therapy could make a real and lasting impact for patients with SCID,” said Dr. Keller. “It gives them a real chance at a long life.”