Cutting edge: characterization of allorestricted and peptide-selective alloreactive T cells using HLA-tetramer selection

A Moris, V Teichgräber, L Gauthier… - The Journal of …, 2001 - journals.aai.org
A Moris, V Teichgräber, L Gauthier, HJ Bühring, HG Rammensee
The Journal of Immunology, 2001journals.aai.org
The vast majority of alloreactive T cells recognize foreign MHC molecules in a peptide-
dependent manner. A subpopulation of these peptide-dependent alloreactive T cells is
peptide-specific and contains T cells that are of interest for tumor immunotherapy.
Allorestricted T cells (ie, peptide-specific and alloreactive) specific for tumor-associated Ags
can be raised in vitro. However, it is technically difficult to distinguish between peptide-
specific and peptide-nonspecific alloreactive T cells by functional assays in vitro. Here we …
Abstract
The vast majority of alloreactive T cells recognize foreign MHC molecules in a peptide-dependent manner. A subpopulation of these peptide-dependent alloreactive T cells is peptide-specific and contains T cells that are of interest for tumor immunotherapy. Allorestricted T cells (ie, peptide-specific and alloreactive) specific for tumor-associated Ags can be raised in vitro. However, it is technically difficult to distinguish between peptide-specific and peptide-nonspecific alloreactive T cells by functional assays in vitro. Here we show for the first time that allorestricted T cells specifically bind HLA-peptide tetrameric complexes, as nominal Ag-specific T cells would do. In consequence, fluorescent HLA-peptide tetrameric complexes can be used for sorting and cloning of allorestricted CTLs specific for a peptide of interest. We also show by the mean of HLA-peptide tetramers the existence of peptide-selective alloreactive T cells that recognize a conformation on the foreign-MHC brought about by some but not all peptides bound.
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