Antibodies against the transferrin receptor block the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. A new method for antigen‐specific negative selection in vitro

Abstract

The induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) specific for alloantigen in a primary mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) was used as a model system to study the potential usefulness of monoclonal antibodies directed against the murine transferrin receptor in eliminating antigen-activated T cells. Two monoclonal antibodies were used which are able to block the transferrin-mediated uptake of iron by growing cells. One of these antibodies is cytotoxic in the presence of complement (C). Treatment of MLC cells from control, uninhibited cultures with the cytotoxic anti-transferrin receptor antibody plus C completely knocked out all CTL effector activity showing that all of the effector cells expressed the receptor. However, surviving cells from such antibody-plus C-treated populations were not depleted of precursors since they were able to mount a strong CTL response to the original alloantigen upon restimulation. Blocking antibody against the transferrin receptor, in the absence of C, when present during the course of a primary MLC, completely inhibited the generation of effector CTL. Conditions were optimized such that antibody present during the course of the MLC could completely and specifically eliminate all antigen-activated T cells including precursors as assessed by secondary restimulation with the original, plus third-party antigens, in the absence of blocking antibody. This method for producing specifically unreactive T cell populations appears to be superior to previously described techniques.