Therapeutic effect of haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell treatment on relapsed/refractory ovarian cancer

The traditional immunotherapy is limited on relapsed/refractory metastatic ovarian cancer because tumors cause immunosuppression. Since new therapeutic strategies to improve clinical outcomes for patients with relapsed/refractory metastatic ovarian carcinoma are needed, the aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of haploidentical peripheral blood stem cells (haplo-PBSCs) adoptive treatment on relapsed/refractory ovarian cancer. Thirteen patients with advanced stage of ovarian cancer and refractory history after surgery and chemotherapy were treated with interleukin-2 activated haplo-PBSCs donated by their parents or children. Clinical outcomes including therapeutic response by measuring tumor size changes using CT scanning, CA-125 levels and survival times were evaluated. T and NK cell population in patients before and after treatment was detected by flow cytometry analysis. The median follow-up time after haplo-PBSCs adoptive treatment was 14 months. At the time of the last follow-up, the median overall survival after haplo-PBSCs adoptive treatment was 9.1 months. Ten patients (76.9%) achieved a relief of symptoms, including abdominal distention, ache, fatigue, and poor appetite. During the first 2 months after treatment, CA125 levels decreased in 10 patients (76.9%). Five patients (38.5%) had a stable disease and 1 patient (8%) had partial response. T cell population (CD3⁺CD4⁺ and CD3⁺CD8⁺) and CD3^-CD16⁺CD56⁺ NK cells were increased in patients after haplo-PBSCs adoptive treatment. Our study reveals that haplo-PBSCs adoptive treatment is associated with an anti-tumor effect and increasing immune responses in patients with relapsed/refractory ovarian cancer.