Allogeneic HLA-A*02-restricted WT1-specific T cells from mismatched donors are highly reactive but show off-target promiscuity

T cells recognizing tumor-associated Ags such as Wilms tumor protein (WT1) are thought to exert potent antitumor reactivity. However, no consistent high-avidity T cell responses have been demonstrated in vaccination studies with WT1 as target in cancer immunotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of negative thymic selection on the avidity and specificity of T cells directed against self-antigens. T cell clones directed against the HLA-A*0201–binding WT1126–134 peptide were generated from both HLA-A*02–positive (self-HLA–restricted) and HLA-A*02–negative [nonself (allogeneic) HLA [allo-HLA]-restricted] individuals by direct ex vivo isolation using tetramers or after in vitro priming and selection. The functional avidity and specificity of these T cell clones was analyzed in-depth. Self-HLA–restricted WT1-specific clones only recognized WT1126–134 with low avidities. In contrast, allo-HLA–restricted WT1 clones exhibited profound functional reactivity against a multitude of HLA-A*02–positive targets, even in the absence of exogenously loaded WT1 peptide, indicative of Ag-binding promiscuity. To characterize this potential promiscuity, reactivity of the T cell clones against 400 randomly selected HLA-A*0201–binding peptides was investigated. The self-HLA–restricted WT1-specific T cell clones only recognized the WT1 peptide. In contrast, the allo-HLA–restricted WT1-reactive clones recognized besides WT1 various other HLA-A*0201–binding peptides. In conclusion, allogeneic HLA-A*02–restricted WT1-specific T cells isolated from mismatched donors may be more tumor-reactive than their autologous counterparts but can show specific off-target promiscuity of potential clinical importance. As a result of this, administration of WT1-specific T cells generated from HLA-mismatched donors should be performed with appropriate precautions against potential off-target effects