METHOD OF ENHANCING THE IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF IMMUNE CELLS BY DEPLETION/POSITIVE SELECTION

摘要

The present invention provides a method for enhancing the immunotherapeutic activity, e.g., antitumor activity, of immune cells by depleting immune cells of a cell subset that down-regulates the immune response, such as either CD4<+> or CD8<+> lymphocytes. The remaining depleted immune cell population or the separated immune cell subsets then are cultured in the presence of an antibody to a lymphocyte surface receptor, preferably an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (MoAb), optionally in the presence of a relatively minor amount of interleukin-2 (IL-2). These stimulated cells then are optionally additionally cultured in the presence of IL-2 without an antibody to a lymphocyte surface receptor. The present invention also provides a method of treating a mammal having tumors or immunizing a mammal against tumors by administering the stimulated depleted immune cell population or a stimulated immune cell subset to a mammal, advantageously together with an immunosuppressant, and with liposomal IL-2. The invention further provides a method of transferring the immunity of mammals that are treated or immunized in accordance with the invention by extracting splenocytes from these mammals and administering these splenocytes to a second mammal.