Use of anti third party central memory T cells for anti-leukemia/lymphoma treatment

1. A method of treating a disease selected from the group consisting of a malignant disease, a disease associated with transplantation of a graft and an autoimmune disease, in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:

(a) transplanting immature hematopoietic cells to the subject; and

(b) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated population of cells comprising non-graft versus host (GVHD) inducing anti-third party cells having a central memory T-lymphocyte (Tcm) phenotype, said cells being tolerance-inducing cells and capable of homing to the lymph nodes following transplantation, wherein when said immature hematopoietic cells are syngeneic with the subject, said isolated population of cells are selected syngeneic with the subject or non-syngeneic with the subject.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said immature hematopoietic cells and said isolated population of cells are autologous.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said immature hematopoietic cells are autologous and said isolated population of cells are non-autologous.

4. The method of claim 1 , where said subject is a human subject.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said malignant disease comprises a malignancy of hematopoietic tissues.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said malignancy of hematopoietic tissues comprises a lymphoma or a leukemia.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said subject is further conditioned under sublethal, lethal or supralethal conditioning prior to (a).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) and (b) are effected concomitantly.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) is effected prior to (a).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) is effected one day after (a).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said central memory T-lymphocyte (Tcm) phenotype comprises a CD8 + /CD62L + signature.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least 50% of the isolated population of cells have said signature.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said lymph nodes comprise peripheral lymph nodes or mesenteric lymph nodes.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said anti-third party cells having a central memory T-lymphocyte (Tcm) phenotype, said cells being tolerance-inducing cells and capable of homing to the lymph nodes following transplantation are generated by:

(a) contacting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with a third party antigen or antigens in the presence of IL-21 under conditions which allow elimination of GVH reactive cells; and

(b) culturing said cells resulting from step (a) in the presence of IL-15 in an antigen free environment under conditions which allow proliferation of cells comprising said central memory T-lymphocyte (Tcm) phenotype, thereby generating the isolated population of cells.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said conditions which allow elimination of GVH reactive cells comprise 1-5 days of culture.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said third party antigen or antigens is selected from the group consisting of third party cells, a cell antigen, a viral antigen, a bacterial antigen, a protein extract, a purified protein and a synthetic peptide presented by autologous presenting cells, non-autologous presenting cells or on an artificial vehicle or artificial antigen presenting cell.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein said conditions which allow proliferation of cells further comprise IL-7 and/or IL-21.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein said culturing in the presence of IL-15 is effected for 3-30 days.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein said conditions which allow proliferation of cells comprise culturing for 3-10 days.