title: Combined CD137 (4-1BB) and adjuvant therapy generates a developing pool of peptide-specific CD8 memory T cells.
abstract: In practice, vaccines should induce lasting and efficacious T cell immunity without promoting deleterious pathological consequences. To accomplish this goal we immunized mice with ovalbumin peptide, polyinosinic-polycytidylic and anti-CD137. Vaccinated mice retained a massive functional CD8 T cell memory pool in lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues for >1 year. The memory T cells clonally expanded, produced substantial amounts of IFNgamma, and responded vigorously to vesicular stomatitis virus infection. To understand how the vaccine might function, we showed that the antigen-specific T cells must bear CD137 in order for optimal priming to occur. Thus, anti-CD137 agonist mAb directly stimulated peptide-specific CD8 T cells and conditioned them to survive. In contrast, CD137-deficient CD8 T cells did not survive despite CD137 expression by antigen presenting cells. Taken together, the data indicate that CD137 and adjuvant combined therapy is an efficacious vaccine strategy for immunization with non-replicating inert antigen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Seung Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lefrancois
authors.forename: Byoung S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Mittler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Croft
authors.forename: Anthony T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Vella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D017635:Clonal Anergy; D000939:Epitopes; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000276:immunology; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000276:immunology*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000276:immunology*; D053261:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 9; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000939:Epitopes; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C505715:Tnfrsf9 protein, mouse; D053261:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 9; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D011070:Poly I-C