Case Report: BKV-specific T cells: a fast, safe and potentially effective treatment option for refractory BKV infections in pediatric patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation - Takeaways - MDSpire

Case Report: BKV-specific T cells: a fast, safe and potentially effective treatment option for refractory BKV infections in pediatric patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

  • By

  • Sven Oberwegner

  • Steffen A. Hettler

  • Luca Hensen

  • Amadeus T. Heinz

  • Christiane Braun

  • Michaela Döring

  • Peter Lang

  • May 7, 2026

Share

  • 1

    BK virus reactivation is common after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and can lead to serious complications like nephropathy and hemorrhagic cystitis.

  • 2

    Current treatments for BKV infections are mainly supportive, with cidofovir lacking definitive evidence of effectiveness, highlighting the need for new therapies.

  • 3

    Adoptive transfer of BKV-specific T cells showed feasibility and safety in four pediatric patients with refractory BKV infections, with three showing decreased viral load.

  • 4

    The treatment was well tolerated, with no infusion-related adverse effects or severe graft-versus-host disease reported among the patients.

  • 5

    Further research is necessary to confirm the effectiveness of BKV-specific T cells as a therapeutic option for refractory BKV viremia in pediatric patients.

Original Source(s)

Case Report: BKV-specific T cells: a fast, safe and potentially effective treatment option for refractory BKV infections in pediatric patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

  • by Sven Oberwegner, Steffen A. Hettler, Luca Hensen, Amadeus T. Heinz, Christiane Braun, Michaela Döring, Peter Lang

  • May 7, 2026

Related Content

One Pathway for Esophageal Cancer?

Molecular profiling reveals precursor signals in BE-negative esophageal cancer

  • May 7, 2026

  • 2 min
Plasma miR-371a-3p Predicts Recurrence in Stage I Testicular Cancer: Interim Results From the CLIMATE Study

In the management of stage I testicular cancer, a persistent clinical dilemma is the identification of patients who truly need adjuvant treatment after orchiectomy rather than active surveillance alon...

‘Promising’ Signal Only: ctDNA in Early Breast Cancer Not Yet Ready for Clinical Use

Despite compelling prognostic associations across multiple retrospective data sets, no interventional trial has demonstrated that acting on circulating tumor DNA testing results in early breast cancer...