INDUCTION OF AN ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC T-LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSE

摘要

Induction of an antigen-specific T-lymphocyte response in a T-lymphocyte culture, e.g. a primary cytotoxic T-lymphocyte(CTL) response, by loading antigen-presenting vehicles which carry empty MHC molecules with an antigen-derived T-cell-immunogenic MHC-binding peptide, culturing T-lymphocytes in the presence of the peptide-loaded antigen-presenting vehicles under specific T-lymphocyte response-inducing conditions. Optionally, an antigen-specifi c T-lymphocyte is isolated from the resulting culture and cultured. The process can be used for preparing CTL which are specific for viral or other foreign antigens, or CTL which are specific for autologous peptides. The process can also be used for the identification of peptides that are capable of binding to MHC and inducing a T cell response.