Parsonidis Panagiotis, Wekerle Thomas
Division of Transplantation, Department of General Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Transplant Direct. 2025 Sep 2;11(9):e1808. doi: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001808. eCollection 2025 Sep.
Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is a therapeutic intervention for modulating immune responses using an autologous apoptotic cell-based product, known as a photopheresate. The process of generating photopheresates offers attractive possibilities for manipulating distinct leukocyte subsets to either augment or dampen immune responses, depending on the disease context. This review discusses current uses of ECP as a cell-based therapy and introduces possible strategies to enhance the potency of photopheresates. In Europe, ECP is regulated under the European Union Tissue Directive, but innovative applications in solid organ transplantation, including modifications of the procedure, may force its reclassification as an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product. Such modifications might include loading dendritic cells with antigens, polarizing dendritic cells toward immunogenic or tolerogenic states, or genetically manipulating leukocyte subsets. In conclusion, although ECP is a long-established, safe, and effective therapy, the more rigorous standards applied to Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product manufacture could help to ensure the quality of photopheresates applied to solid organ transplant recipients.
体外光化学疗法(ECP)是一种治疗干预手段,它利用一种基于自体凋亡细胞的产品(称为光采产物)来调节免疫反应。生成光采产物的过程为操纵不同的白细胞亚群提供了诱人的可能性,根据疾病背景,可以增强或抑制免疫反应。本综述讨论了ECP作为一种基于细胞的疗法的当前用途,并介绍了提高光采产物效力的可能策略。在欧洲,ECP受欧盟组织指令监管,但在实体器官移植中的创新应用,包括对该程序的修改,可能会迫使其重新分类为高级治疗药品。此类修改可能包括用抗原加载树突状细胞、使树突状细胞向免疫原性或耐受性状态极化,或对白细胞亚群进行基因操作。总之,尽管ECP是一种长期存在、安全且有效的疗法,但适用于高级治疗药品生产的更严格标准有助于确保应用于实体器官移植受者的光采产物的质量。