The induction of long-term immunological tolerance

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CBA mice were rendered tolerant by a prolonged course of antilymphocyte serum and the subsequent injection of allogeneic or xenogeneic lymphoid cells. Control mice received no other therapy. Experimental mice were grafted with allogeneic or xenogeneic lymph nodes prior to the administration of the cellular inocula. The survival pattern of tail-skin grafts was assessed in all mice. Those animals that were grafted with lymph node transplants failed to reject the skin grafts with the same rapidity or pattern as mice that were treated with ALS and cells alone. Furthermore, graft-v.-host disease was not noted in either the allogeneic or xenogeneic chimeras. The possible mechanisms of this durable chimerism are discussed. The experiments are still preliminary and others are in progress to evaluate the survival patterns of lymphoid cells in their heterotopic but syngeneic environment.