title: Interferon-gamma-stimulated marrow stromal cells: a new type of nonhematopoietic antigen-presenting cell.
abstract: Several studies have demonstrated that marrow stromal cells (MSCs) can suppress allogeneic T-cell responses. However, the effect of MSCs on syngeneic immune responses has been largely overlooked. We describe here that primary MSCs derived from C57BL/6 mice behave as conditional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and can induce antigen-specific protective immunity. Interferon gamma (IFNgamma)-treated C57BL/6 MSCs, but not unstimulated MSCs, cocultured with ovalbumin-specific major histocompatibility (MHC) class II-restricted hybridomas in the presence of soluble ovalbumin-induced significant production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in an antigen dose-dependent manner (P < .005). IFNgamma-treated MSCs could further activate in vitro ovalbumin-specific primary transgenic CD4+ T cells. C57BL/6 MSCs, however, were unable to induce antigen cross-presentation via the MHC class I pathway. When syngeneic mice were immunized intraperitoneally with ovalbumin-pulsed IFNgamma-treated MSCs, they developed antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and became fully protected (10 of 10 mice) against ovalbumin-expressing E.G7 tumors. Human MSCs were also studied for antigen-presenting functions. IFNgamma-treated DR1-positive human MSCs, but not unstimulated human MSCs, induced significant production of IL-2 when cocultured with DR1-restricted influenza-specific humanized T-cell hybridomas in the presence of purified influenza matrix protein 1. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that MSCs behave as conditional APCs in syngeneic immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, 3755 Cote Ste-Catherine Rd, Montreal, QC, Canada H3T 1E2.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stagg
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pommey
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eliopoulos
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galipeau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D006801:Humans; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin