Multimer technologies for detection and adoptive transfer of antigen-specific T cells.
Identification and purification of antigen-specific T cells without altering their functional status are of high scientific and clinical interest. Staining with major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-peptide multimers constitutes a very powerful method to study antigen-specific T-cell subpopulations, allowing their direct visualization and quantification. MHC-peptide multimers, such as dimers, tetramers, pentamers, streptamers, dextramers and octamers have been used to evaluate the frequency of CD8(+) T cells, specific for tumor/leukemia-associated antigens as well as for viral antigens, e.g., CMVpp65 and EBV-EBNA. Moreover, MHC-peptide multimers have been used for rapid and efficient ex vivo isolation and expansion of T cells. A recent development in the field of MHC-peptide multimers led to the purification of CD8(+) T cells specific for leukemia antigens. This might help to select leukemia-specific donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs), thus allowing dissection of the noxious graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) from beneficial anti-viral and even anti-leukemic effects. This review covers different types of MHC-peptide multimers and their applications, as well as the impact that multimers might have on further development of DLIs.
Casalegno-Garduño
Rosaely
R
Department of Internal Medicine III, Clinical Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, University Clinic Rostock, 18055 Rostock, Germany.
Schmitt
Anita
A
Yao
Junxia
J
Wang
Xinchao
X
Xu
Xun
X
Freund
Mathias
M
Schmitt
Michael
M
D019264:Adoptive Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000276:immunology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D010455:Peptides