324: Resistance to depletion and enhanced homeostatic proliferation by memory cells in the setting of induced lymphopenia

Abstract

In human solid organ transplantation T cell depleting monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies have been used prolong allograft survival. Recent data in a murine cardiac allograft model demonstrated that the use of T cell depleting antibodies prior to a protocol of costimulatory blockade prevented tolerance induction. We hypothesized that the resistance to tolerance induction is related to the emergence of memory cells in the aftermath of lymphodepletion. The purpose of this study was to explore why memory cells predominate following depletion.