Antigen-specific killer polylactic-co-glycolic acid microspheres selectively deplete antigen-specific T cells in vitro and in vivo (TRAN1P.924)

Abstract

Abstract The strategy of specifically depleting antigen-specific T cells can potentially be used to treat allograft rejection and autoimmunity because it does not suppress the overall immune systems. In this study, we generated killer polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) microspheres by covalently coupling H-2Kb-Ig and apoptosis-inducing anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (mAb) onto cell-sized PLGA microspheres. The Kb/OVA257-264-Killer PLGAs resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of OVA257-264-specific CD8+ T cells in an antigen-specific manner in vitro and in vivo, by using a transgenic OT-1 mice model. The bioluminescence imaging revealed that Killer PLGAs dominantly distributed in lung, liver and gut, and was maintained for up to 48 hours in OT-1 mice and a longer time in OT-1 mice than in C57BL/6 mice. Moreover, the Kb-Killer PLGAs were administered intravenously into bm1 mice (H-2Kbm1) that had previously been grafted with ear skin from C57BL/6 mice (H-2Kb). The killer PLGAs selectively decreased the H-2Kb alloantigen-reactive CD8+ T cells infiltrating into the alloskin graft but not CD4+ T cells, and significantly prolonged allograft survival for 41.5 days without the impairment of host overall immune function. Thus, our data highlight the therapeutic potential of this biocompatible and biodegradable killer effectors for the treatment of allograft rejection and autoimmune disease. Keywords: Allograft rejection, PLGA, H-2Kb-Ig