title: Studies on CD4 T cell immunity using somatic transgene immunization.
abstract: This review presents and discusses our recent data on the use of somatic transgene immunization in the induction of CD4 T cell responses in vivo. Somatic transgene immunization is a process that targets B lymphocytes resident in the spleen with DNA coding for antigenized immunoglobulin H chain genes. After transgenesis B lymphocytes function as antigen-producing and antigen-presenting cells. The studies reviewed herein describe the characteristics of the primary and memory CD4 response against a dominant Th cell determinant. In addition, they show how ad hoc modifications of the transgene result in the induction of a CD4 T cell response against Th cell determinants against which a response is normally not obtained. The new concept Th-Th cooperation is discussed.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Medicine and Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0837, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerloni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanetti
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods*; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D009842:Oligopeptides