Donor T Cells in Treating Patients With High-Risk Hematologic Cancer Undergoing Donor Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant

RATIONALE: A donor peripheral stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into the patient they may help the patient's bone marrow make stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Once the donated stem cells begin working, the patient's immune system may see the remaining cancer cells as not belonging in the patient's body and destroy them. Giving an infusion of donor T cells may helps stop the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of donor T cells in treating patients with high-risk hematologic cancer who are undergoing donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant. Note: Only Phase I portion of study was performed. Due to slow accrual, study was closed before Phase II portion of study.

OBJECTIVES: Primary * To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of CD4+/CD25+ cells that can be safely administered to patients undergoing HLA-identical sibling donor Peripheral Blood Progenitor Cell (PBPC) transplantation. * To determine whether CD4+ and CD25+ cells can be safely administered to patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies undergoing HLA-identical sibling donor PBPC transplantation. Secondary * To determine the incidence of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), chronic GVHD, relapse, and survival after administration of CD4+ and CD25+ regulatory T cells in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of CD4+ and CD25+ donor regulatory T cells followed by a phase II study. All patients receive myeloablative preparative therapy and GVHD prophylaxis as per University of Minnesota protocol UMN-MT2001-02 or UMN-MT2001-10. * First allogeneic peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) infusion: Patients receive unmobilized, culture-expanded, CD4- and CD25-positive donor regulatory T cells IV over 15-60 minutes at the assigned dose on day -2. * Second allogeneic PBPC infusion: Patients undergo matched-sibling donor PBPC transplantation IV on day 0. Patients undergo blood sample collection prior to commencement of preparative therapy and then at day 100, 6 months, and 1 year after PBPC transplantation. Samples are analyzed for immune reconstitution by immunophenotyping and functional analyses. After completion of study therapy, patients are followed for up to 1 year.