title: Generation of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes with activated B cells.
abstract: Dendritic cells are well known as the most potent antigen-presenting cells. Nonetheless, their use in immunotherapy has been limited by the time-consuming and laborious steps involved in their generation in vitro. Therefore, much attention has been placed on alternative antigen-presenting cells that are relatively more convenient to manipulate.
  
  
  
  In this study, the efficacy of B cells as antigen-presenting cells, compared with dendritic cells, in the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes against cytomegalovirus-specific antigens was evaluated. B cells were isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy individuals, loaded with α-galactosylceramide for activation, and nucleofected with cytomegalovirus-antigen coding plasmid DNA. Antigen-nucleofected B cells or dendritic cells were cocultured with T cells for 14 days in vitro.
  
  
  
  The proliferation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by B cells was similar to that of those induced by dendritic cells. Additionally, the immunogenicity of both sets of cytotoxic T lymphocytes was similar not only in interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunospot assays but also in cytotoxicity assays.
  
  
  
  These observations suggest that α-galactosylceramide-loaded B cells could be used as antigen-presenting cells as an alternative to dendritic cells. Using B cells has several benefits, including cost-effectiveness and being both less time-consuming and less labor-intensive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Ok
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Yuil
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kanghj@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Hyoung Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D058501:Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay / Q000379:methods; D005699:Galactosylceramides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D005699:Galactosylceramides; C493154:alpha-galactosylceramide; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: B cells; DNA nucleofection; cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs); α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer)