Protection from CMV infection in immunodeficient hosts by adoptive transfer of memory B cells.
Severe disease associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is still a major problem in patients who undergo transplantation. Support of the patients' immune defense against the virus is a major goal in transplantation medicine. We have used the murine model of CMV (MCMV) to investigate the potential of a cell-based strategy to support the humoral antiviral immune response. Immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice were infected with MCMV, and memory B cells from the immune animals were adoptively transferred into T-cell- and B-cell-deficient RAG-1(-/-) mice. Following MCMV infection, a virus-specific IgG response developed within 4 to 7 days in the recipient animals. Concomitantly, a significant reduction in viral titers and DNA copies in several organs was observed. In addition, the memory B-cell transfer provided long-term protection from the lethal course of the infection that is invariably seen in immunodeficient animals. Transfer of memory B cells was also effective in protecting from an already ongoing viral infection, indicating a therapeutic potential of virus-specific memory B cells. T cells were not involved in this process. Our data provide evidence that a cell-based strategy to support the humoral immune response can be effective to combat infectious pathogens in severely immunodeficient hosts.
Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, University Hospital Erlangen, Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Karin
K
Klenovsek
Florian
F
Weisel
Andrea
A
Schneider
Uwe
U
Appelt
Stipan
S
Jonjic
Martin
M
Messerle
Birgit
B
Bradel-Tretheway
Thomas H
TH
Winkler
Michael
M
Mach
D019264:Adoptive Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000637:transplantation*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000276:immunology