Antigen-driven long term-cultured T cells proliferate in vivo, distribute widely, mediate specific tumor therapy, and persist long-term as functional memory T cells

J Exp Med. 1986 May 1;163(5):1100-12. doi: 10.1084/jem.163.5.1100.

Abstract

Mice bearing disseminated syngeneic FBL-3 leukemia were treated with cyclophosphamide plus long term-cultured T cells immune to FBL-3. The cultured T cells for therapy had been induced to grow in vitro for 62 d by intermittent stimulation with irradiated FBL-3. At the time of therapy, such antigen-driven long term-cultured T cells were greatly expanded in number, proliferated in vitro in response to FBL-3, and were specifically cytotoxic. Following adoptive transfer, donor T cells persisting in the host were identified and counted using donor and host mice congenic for the T cell marker Thy-1. The results show that antigen-driven long term-cultured T cells proliferated rapidly in vivo, distributed widely in host lymphoid organs, and were effective in tumor therapy. Moreover, the already rapid in vivo growth rate of donor T cells could be augmented by administration of exogenous IL-2. When cured mice were examined 120 d after therapy, donor L3T4+ T cells and donor Lyt-2+ T cells could be found in large numbers in host ascites, spleen, and mesenteric and axillary lymph nodes. The persisting donor T cells proliferated in vitro, and became specifically cytotoxic in response to FBL-3, demonstrating that antigen-driven long term-cultured T cells can persist long term in vivo and provide immunologic memory.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology
  • Antigens, Surface / analysis
  • Cell Cycle
  • Cell Survival
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Cyclophosphamide / therapeutic use
  • Immunization, Passive
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Immunotherapy
  • Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / immunology
  • Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / therapy
  • Leukemia, Experimental / immunology
  • Leukemia, Experimental / therapy*
  • Mice
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / transplantation
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte
  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Antigens, Surface
  • Cyclophosphamide