摘要 |
2116362 9217567 PCTABS00016 The present invention provides a method for enhancing the immunotherapeutic activity, e.g., cytotoxicity, 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 cells are then cultured in the presence of an antibody to a lymphocyte surface receptor, preferably an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) and optionally in the presence of a cytokine, e.g., interleukin-2 (IL-2). The present invention also provides a method of enhancing the immunotherapeutic activity, e.g., cytotoxicity, of immune cells by culturing immune cells in the presence of IL-2 and an antibody to a lymphocyte surface receptor, preferably an anti-CD3 MoAb; separating a cell subset capable of developping immunotherapeutic activity, e.g., cytotoxicity, from the cultured immune cells, e.g., either CD4+ or CD8+ lymphocytes; and then subculturing the separated lymphocytes in the presence of IL-2.
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