METHOD OF EVALUATING CTL INDUCTION ABILITY AND SCREENING METHOD USING THE SAME

摘要

It is intended to provide a method whereby a specific CTL induction ability in a protein can be quickly and conveniently evaluated. This object can be achieved by providing a method of evaluating a protein-specific CTL induction ability which comprises the step of transferring a gene encoding the test protein into antigen presenting cells in such a manner as allowing the expression of the protein, the step of culturing the antigen presenting cells, into which the gene has been transferred, together with lymphocytes, and the step of examining the CTL induction efficiency in the lymphocytes, wherein use is made of, as the antigen presenting cells, cells originating in an established cell line expressing a T cell costimulator and an MHC class I molecule and being capable of presenting as the antigen the entire protein expressed in the cells or a part of the same. According to this method, an antigen protein or an antigen epitope peptide having a specific CTL induction ability can be quickly and conveniently screened and thus it becomes possible to search for a novel antigen epitope peptide.