title: CD8 T cells are sufficient to mediate allorecognition and allograft rejection.
abstract: Different T cell subsets may play different roles in allorecognition and allograft rejection. It has been suggested that CD8 T cells can only initiate rejection with help from CD4 T cells. Since CD8 T cells may have different requirements for allorecognition and for costimulation, it is important to clarify the role of CD8 cells in rejection. We examined the role of CD8 cells in allorecognition using a TCR transgenic mouse transplantation model. In our study, CD8 cells were able to recognize alloantigens and reject allografts in the absence of help from CD4 T cells. Furthermore our study provides a model to study the mechanisms of CD8-mediated allograft rejection. It may be important in the future, to consider that CD8 T cells may need to be targeted independently of CD4 T cells in strategies used to prevent rejection and induce tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Kate E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Halamay
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kirkman
authors.forename: Linhong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Ruben C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Fragoso
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Richard N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Dianne B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: McKay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D006720:Homozygote; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell