G Benichou

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

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Publications (38)249.66 Total impact

  • Article: Low-dose IL-2 for In vivo expansion of CD4+ and CD8+ regulatory T cells in nonhuman primates.
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    ABSTRACT: IL-2 is a known potent T cell growth factor that amplifies lymphocyte responses in vivo. This capacity has led to the use of high-dose IL-2 to enhance T cell immunity in patients with AIDS or cancer. However, more recent studies have indicated that IL-2 is also critical for the development and peripheral expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs). In the current study, low-dose IL-2 (1 million IU/m(2) BSA/day) was administered to expand Tregs in vivo in naïve nonhuman primates. Our study demonstrated that low-dose IL-2 therapy significantly expanded peripheral blood CD4(+) and CD8(+) Tregs in vivo with limited expansion of non-Treg cells. These expanded Tregs are mainly CD45RA(-) Foxp3(high) activated Tregs and demonstrated potent immunosuppressive function in vitro. The results of this preclinical study can serve as a basis to develop Treg immunotherapy, which has significant therapeutic potential in organ/cellular transplantation.
    American Journal of Transplantation 06/2012; 12(9):2532-7. · 6.39 Impact Factor
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    Article: Overcoming memory T-cell responses for induction of delayed tolerance in nonhuman primates.
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    ABSTRACT: The presence of alloreactive memory T cells is a major barrier for induction of tolerance in primates. In theory, delaying conditioning for tolerance induction until after organ transplantation could further decrease the efficacy of the regimen, since preexisting alloreactive memory T cells might be stimulated by the transplanted organ. Here, we show that such "delayed tolerance" can be induced in nonhuman primates through the mixed chimerism approach, if specific modifications to overcome/avoid donor-specific memory T-cell responses are provided. These modifications include adequate depletion of CD8+ memory T cells and timing of donor bone marrow administration to minimize levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Using this modified approach, mixed chimerism was induced successfully in 11 of 13 recipients of previously placed renal allografts and long-term survival without immunosuppression could be achieved in at least 6 of these 11 animals.
    American Journal of Transplantation 11/2011; 12(2):330-40. · 6.39 Impact Factor
  • Article: B-cell-dependent memory T cells impede nonmyeloablative mixed chimerism induction in presensitized mice.
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    ABSTRACT: Presensitization to HLA antigens limits the success of organ transplantation. The achievement of donor-specific tolerance via mixed chimerism could improve outcomes of transplantation in presensitized patients. In presensitized B-cell-deficient μMT B6 mice, we developed nonmyeloablative bone marrow transplantation (BMT) regimens that successfully tolerized presensitized T cells, achieving long-term (LT) multilineage chimerism and tolerance to donor-type skin. To apply these regimens in wild-type (WT) animals while avoiding antibody-mediated destruction of donor bone marrow cells, presensitized WT B6 mice were rested >2 years to allow alloantibody clearance. However, chimerism and tolerance were not reliably achieved in LT presensitized WT B6 mice in which alloantibody had declined to minimal or undetectable levels before BMT. Strong antidonor memory T-cell responses were detected in LT presensitized WT B6 mice after rejection of donor bone marrow (BM) occurred, whereas levels of alloantibody remained consistently low. In contrast, presensitized μMT B6 mice had diminished memory T-cell responses compared to WT B6 mice. These data implicate T-cell memory, but not alloantibody, in rejection of donor BM in LT presensitized WT mice.
    American Journal of Transplantation 08/2011; 11(11):2322-31. · 6.39 Impact Factor
  • Article: The indirect alloresponse impairs the induction but not maintenance of tolerance to MHC class I-disparate allografts.
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    ABSTRACT: We studied the effects of indirect allorecognition on the induction and maintenance phases of tolerance in miniature swine cotransplanted with heart and kidney allografts. MHC class I-mismatched heart and kidney grafts were cotransplanted in recipients receiving CyA for 12 days. Recipients were unimmunized or immunized with a set of donor-derived or control third-party MHC class I peptides either 21 days prior to transplantation or over 100 days after transplantation. T-cell proliferation, delayed type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) and antibody production were assessed. All animals injected with donor MHC class I peptides developed potent indirect alloresponses specific to the immunizing peptides. While untreated recipients developed stable tolerance, all animals preimmunized with donor allopeptides rejected kidney-heart transplants acutely. In contrast, when peptide immunization was delayed until over 100 days after kidney-heart transplantation, no effects were observed on graft function or in vitro measures of alloimmunity. Donor peptide immunization prevented tolerance when administered to recipients pre transplantation but did not abrogate tolerance when administered to long-term survivors post transplantation. This suggests that the presence of T cells activated via indirect allorecognition represent a barrier to the induction but not the maintenance of tolerance.
    American Journal of Transplantation 02/2009; 9(1):105-13. · 6.39 Impact Factor
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    Article: Depletion of CD8 memory T cells for induction of tolerance of a previously transplanted kidney allograft.
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    ABSTRACT: Heterologous immunologic memory has been considered a potent barrier to tolerance induction in primates. Induction of such tolerance for a previously transplanted organ may be more difficult, because specific memory cells can be induced and activated by a transplanted organ. In the current study, we attempted to induce tolerance to a previously transplanted kidney allograft in nonhuman primates. The conditioning regimen consisted of low dose total body irradiation, thymic irradiation, antithymocyte globulin, and anti-CD154 antibody followed by a brief course of a calcineurin inhibitor. This regimen had been shown to induce mixed chimerism and allograft tolerance when kidney transplantation (KTx) and donor bone marrow transplantation (DBMT) were simultaneously performed. However, the same regimen failed to induce mixed chimerism when delayed DBMT was performed after KTx. We found that significant levels of memory T cells remained after conditioning, despite effective depletion of naïve T cells. By adding humanized anti-CD8 monoclonal antibody (cM-T807), CD8 memory T cells were effectively depleted and these recipients successfully achieved mixed chimerism and tolerance. The current studies provide 'proof of principle' that the mixed chimerism approach can induce renal allograft tolerance, even late after organ transplantation if memory T-cell function is adequately controlled.
    American Journal of Transplantation 06/2007; 7(5):1055-61. · 6.39 Impact Factor
  • Article: Effects of noninherited maternal antigens on allotransplant rejection in a transgenic mouse model.
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    ABSTRACT: We studied the influence of noninherited maternal antigen (NIMA) on allotransplant rejection using a mouse transgenic model. CBK transgenic (CBA [H-2k] expressing K(b) MHC class I transgene) mice were used as donors in heart transplantation experiments. Offspring of BM3.3 (CBA anti-K(b) TCR transgenic) male mice and (CBA x CBK)F1 females were used as NIMA (offspring that did not inherit K(b)) and IMA (offspring that inherited K(b) maternal antigen) recipient mice. Survival of allografts was monitored and the alloimmune response evaluated using an ELISPOT assay. IMA mice accepted CBK heart allografts and displayed no alloresponse to K(b+) cells. In contrast, mice never exposed to K(b) (offspring of BM3.3 males and CBA females) acutely rejected their grafts within 18 days posttransplantation and exhibited potent inflammatory alloresponses to K(b+) cells. NIMA mice displayed prolonged survival of allotransplants (MST >60 days). Although no deletion of anti-K(b) TCR transgenic cells was detected in these mice, they had a marked reduction in the frequency of activated alloreactive T cells producing type 1 (IFN-gamma and IL-2) cytokines and concomitant expansion of type 2 (IL-4) cytokine-secreting cells. Finally, depletion of CD4+ T cells from NIMA mice restored acute rejection of CBK hearts. This study is the first demonstration of the tolerogenic effects of NIMA on alloimmunity and allotransplant rejection in a transgenic model. It is shown that, although the NIMA tolerogenic effect is not due to deletion of alloreactive T cells, it is mediated by CD4+ T cells producing type 2 cytokines.
    Transplantation Proceedings 06/2005; 37(4):1940-1. · 1.00 Impact Factor
  • Article: Antigenicity and immunogenicity of allogeneic retinal transplants.
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    ABSTRACT: The transplantation of neuronal cells and tissues represents a promising approach for the treatment of incurable neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, it has been reported recently that retinal transplantation can rescue photoreceptor cells and delay age-related changes in various retinal layers in rodents. However, retinal grafts deteriorate progressively after placement in recipients' eyes. Here we investigated whether a host's immune response elicited toward the graft contributes to its deterioration. Using an ELISA spot assay, we measured T cell responses to retinal tissues placed in the vitreous cavity of syngeneic and allogeneic mice. We found that allogeneic retinas induced potent alloimmune responses mediated by T cells secreting type 1 cytokines (IFN-gamma and IL-2). No response was found in mice engrafted with syngeneic retinas. In addition, all syngeneic retinal grafts displayed no signs of tissue damage (at 55 days), while the majority of allogeneic retinas deteriorated as early as 12 days after placement. Next, we showed that anti-donor responses occurred within two phenotypically and functionally distinct T cell subsets: CD4+ T cells secreting IL-2 and CD8+ T cells producing IFN-gamma. Importantly, CD4+ T cells were necessary and sufficient to cause graft deterioration, while CD8+ T cells did not contribute to this process.
    Journal of Clinical Investigation 11/2001; 108(8):1175-83. · 15.39 Impact Factor
  • Article: Role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in allorecognition: lessons from corneal transplantation.
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    ABSTRACT: Corneal transplantation represents an interesting model to investigate the contribution of direct vs indirect Ag recognition pathways to the alloresponse. Corneal allografts are naturally devoid of MHC class II+ APCs. In addition, minor Ag-mismatched corneal grafts are more readily rejected than their MHC-mismatched counterparts. Accordingly, it has been hypothesized that these transplants do not trigger direct T cell alloresponse, but that donor Ags are presented by host APCs, i.e., in an indirect fashion. Here, we have determined the Ag specificity, frequency, and phenotype of T cells activated through direct and indirect pathways in BALB/c mice transplanted orthotopically with fully allogeneic C57BL/6 corneas. In this combination, only 60% of the corneas are rejected, while the remainder enjoy indefinite graft survival. In rejecting mice the T cell response was mediated by two T cell subsets: 1) CD4+ T cells that recognize alloantigens exclusively through indirect pathway and secrete IL-2, and 2) IFN-gamma-producing CD8+ T cells recognizing donor MHC in a direct fashion. Surprisingly, CD8+ T cells activated directly were not required for graft rejection. In nonrejecting mice, no T cell responses were detected. Strikingly, peripheral sensitization to allogeneic MHC molecules in these mice induced acute rejection of corneal grafts. We conclude that only CD4+ T cells activated via indirect allorecognition have the ability to reject allogeneic corneal grafts. Although alloreactive CD8+ T cells are activated via the direct pathway, they are not fully competent and cannot contribute to the rejection unless they receive an additional signal provided by professional APCs in the periphery.
    The Journal of Immunology 09/2001; 167(4):1891-9. · 5.79 Impact Factor
  • Article: CD28-independent costimulation of T cells in alloimmune responses.
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    ABSTRACT: T cell costimulation by B7 molecules plays an important role in the regulation of alloimmune responses. Although both B7-1 and B7-2 bind CD28 and CTLA-4 on T cells, the role of B7-1 and B7-2 signaling through CTLA-4 in regulating alloimmune responses is incompletely understood. To address this question, we transplanted CD28-deficient mice with fully allogeneic vascularized cardiac allografts and studied the effect of selective blockade of B7-1 or B7-2. These mice reject their grafts by a mechanism that involves both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. Blockade of CTLA-4 or B7-1 significantly accelerated graft rejection. In contrast, B7-2 blockade significantly prolonged allograft survival and, unexpectedly, reversed the acceleration of graft rejection caused by CTLA-4 blockade. Furthermore, B7-2 blockade prolonged graft survival in recipients that were both CD28 and CTLA-4 deficient. Our data indicate that B7-1 is the dominant ligand for CTLA-4-mediated down-regulation of alloimmune responses in vivo and suggest that B7-2 has an additional receptor other than CD28 and CTLA-4 to provide a positive costimulatory signal for T cells.
    The Journal of Immunology 08/2001; 167(1):140-6. · 5.79 Impact Factor
  • Article: Blockade of CD40-CD154 costimulatory pathway promotes survival of allogeneic corneal transplants.
    Y Qian, F Boisgerault, G Benichou, M R Dana
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    ABSTRACT: To determine the effect of systemic anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody on the survival of orthotopic murine corneal transplants. BALB/c mice were used as recipients of syngeneic, multiple minor histocompatability (H)-disparate, or major histocompatibility complex MHC-mismatched corneal transplants. Recipient beds were either avascular (normal risk) or neovascularized (high risk). Mice were randomized to receive either anti-CD154 antibody or control immunoglobulin by intraperitoneal injection at surgery and once weekly after surgery. After orthotopic corneal transplantation, all grafts were evaluated for signs of rejection by slit lamp biomicroscopy over 8 weeks. The high-risk transplants were continuously observed until week 18 after the therapy was discontinued at week 8. Allospecific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) was evaluated after transplantation in high-risk graft recipients. Frequency of interferon (IFN)-gamma-secreting T cells in the hosts was measured by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. In normal-risk transplantation, the 8-week survival rate improved from 25% in control mice to 88% in anti-CD154-treated hosts of minor H-disparate grafts (P = 0.0087) and from 78% in control mice to 100% in anti-CD154-treated recipients of MHC-mismatched transplants (P = 0.177). Of particular significance, in high-risk transplantation, anti-CD154 therapy dramatically enhanced the survival of both minor H- and MHC-disparate corneal transplants to 100% (P = 0.0001) and 92% (P = 0.0002), respectively. In addition, the anti-CD154-treated mice did not exhibit allospecific immunity. However, termination of anti-CD154 led to some loss in graft survival, especially among high-risk minor H-disparate grafts. The frequency of IFN-gamma-producing T cells was significantly reduced in anti-CD154-treated hosts. Continuous suppression of the CD40-CD154 costimulatory pathway promotes the acceptance of corneal transplants, regardless of the degree of allodisparity or preoperative risk. The beneficial effect of anti-CD154 treatment may be due in part to inhibition of Th1-mediated responses.
    Investigative Ophthalmology &amp Visual Science 05/2001; 42(5):987-94. · 3.60 Impact Factor
  • Article: Analysis of T-cell response using altered peptide ligands.
    Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 02/2001; 156:211-8.
  • Article: Induction of T-cell response to cryptic MHC determinants during allograft rejection.
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    ABSTRACT: The presentation of MHC peptides by recipient and donor antigen presenting cells is an essential element in allorecognition and allograft rejection. MHC proteins contains two sets of determinants: the dominant determinants that are efficiently processed and presented to T cells, and the cryptic determinants that are not presented sufficiently enough to induce T-cell responses in vivo. In transplanted mice, initial T-cell response to MHC peptides is consistently limited to a single or a few immunodominant determinants on donor MHC molecule. However, in this article we show that under appropriate circumstances the hierarchy of determinants on MHC molecules can be disrupted. First, we observed that gamma IFN can trigger de novo presentation of cryptic self-MHC peptides by spleen cells. Moreover, we showed that allotransplantation is associated with induction of T-cell responses to formerly cryptic determinants on both syngeneic and allogeneic MHC molecules. Our results suggest that cross-reactivity and inflammation are responsible for the initiation of these auto- and alloimmune responses after transplantation.
    Human Immunology 01/2001; 61(12):1352-62. · 2.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: The role of CD154-CD40 versus CD28-B7 costimulatory pathways in regulating allogeneic Th1 and Th2 responses in vivo.
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    ABSTRACT: We used signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) and STAT6 gene knockout (-/-) mice as recipients of fully mismatched cardiac allografts to study the role of T-cell costimulatory pathways in regulating allogeneic T-helper 1 (Th1) versus Th2 responses in vivo. STAT4(-/-) mice have impaired Th1 responses, whereas STAT6(-/-) mice do not generate normal Th2 responses. Cardiac allografts from C57BL/6 mice were transplanted into normal wild-type (WT), STAT4(-/-), and STAT6(-/-) BALB/c recipients. STAT4(-/-) and STAT6(-/-) mice rejected their grafts with the same tempo as untreated WT recipients. CD28-B7 blockade by a single injection of CTLA4Ig induced long-term engraftment and donor-specific tolerance in all three groups of recipients. CD154 blockade by a single injection of MR1 was effective in prolonging allograft survival and inducing tolerance in STAT4(-/-) mice but was only marginally effective in STAT6(-/-) recipients and WT controls. In addition, a similar protocol of MR1 was ineffective in prolonging graft survival in CD28(-/-) BALB/c recipients, suggesting that the lack of efficacy seen in WT and STAT6(-/-) mice is not due to the presence of a functional CD28-B7 pathway. Furthermore, there was a similar differential effect of CD28-B7 versus CD154-CD40 blockade in inhibiting immune responses in animals immunized with ovalbumin and complete Freund's adjuvant. These novel data indicate that Th1 and Th2 cells are differentially regulated by CD28-B7 versus CD154-CD40 costimulation pathways in vivo and may have potential implications for the development of therapeutic strategies such as T-cell costimulatory blockade in humans.
    Journal of Clinical Investigation 08/2000; 106(1):63-72. · 15.39 Impact Factor
  • Article: CD4+ T cell responses to self- and mutated p53 determinants during tumorigenesis in mice.
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    ABSTRACT: We analyzed CD4+ T helper responses to wild-type (wt) and mutated (mut) p53 protein in normal and tumor-bearing mice. In normal mice, we observed that although some self-p53 determinants induced negative selection of p53-reactive CD4+ T cells, other p53 determinants (cryptic) were immunogenic. Next, BALB/c mice were inoculated with J774 syngeneic tumor cell line expressing mut p53. BALB/c tumor-bearing mice mounted potent CD4+ T cell responses to two formerly cryptic peptides on self-p53. This response was characterized by massive production of IL-5, a Th2-type lymphokine. Interestingly, we found that T cell response was induced by different p53 peptides depending upon the stage of cancer. Mut p53 gene was shown to contain a single mutation resulting in the substitution of a tyrosine by a histidine at position 231 of the protein. Two peptides corresponding to wt and mutated sequences of this region were synthesized. Both peptides bound to the MHC class II-presenting molecule (Ed) with similar affinities. However, only mut p53.225-239 induced T cell responses in normal BALB/c mice, a result strongly suggesting that high-affinity wt p53.225-239 autoreactive T cells had been eliminated in these mice. Surprisingly, CD4+ T cell responses to both mut and wt p53.225-239 peptides were recorded in J774 tumor-bearing mice, a phenomenon attributed to the recruitment of low-avidity p53.225-239 self-reactive T cells.
    The Journal of Immunology 07/2000; 164(11):5641-51. · 5.79 Impact Factor
  • Article: T cell repertoire in mice with alopecia areata.
    G Benichou, V H Price
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    ABSTRACT: It has become clear that skin infiltrating autoreactive CD4+ T helper cells play a crucial role in the initiation of alopecia areata. However, the natures of the pathogenic T cell clones as well as of the skin antigen they recognize remain obscure. Here, we analyzed the T cell receptor repertoire expressed in the spleen of diseased mice. We consistently observed the dominant expansion of a limited set of T cell clones expressing Vbeta8.2/Jbeta2.5 T cell receptor rearrangement. We conclude that T cell response in mice alopecia areata is markedly oligoclonal; a feature that may permit the design of selective immunotherapy.
    Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings 01/2000; 4(3):224-5. · 3.73 Impact Factor
  • Article: De novo autoimmunity to cardiac myosin after heart transplantation and its contribution to the rejection process.
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    ABSTRACT: Allograft rejection is initiated by an immune response to donor MHC proteins. We recently reported that this response can result in breakdown of immune tolerance to a recipient self Ag. However, the contribution of this autoimmune response to graft rejection has yet to be determined. Here, we found that after mouse allogeneic heart transplantation, de novo CD4+ T cell and B cell autoimmune response to cardiac myosin (CM), a major contractile protein of cardiac muscle, is elicited in recipients. Importantly, CM is the autoantigen that causes autoimmune myocarditis, a heart autoimmune disease whose histopathological features resemble those observed in rejected cardiac transplants. Furthermore, T cell responses directed to CM peptide myhcalpha 334-352, a known myocarditogenic determinant, were detected in heart-transplanted mice. No responses to CM were observed in mice that had received an allogeneic skin graft or a syngeneic heart transplant, demonstrating that this response is tissue specific and that allogeneic response is necessary to break tolerance to CM. Next, we showed that sensitization of recipient mice with CM markedly accelerates the rejection of allogeneic heart. Therefore, posttransplant autoimmune response to CM is relevant to the rejection process. We conclude that transplantation-induced autoimmune response to CM represents a new mechanism that may play a significant role in cardiac transplant rejection.
    The Journal of Immunology 07/1999; 162(11):6836-42. · 5.79 Impact Factor
  • Article: Contributions of direct and indirect T cell alloreactivity during allograft rejection in mice.
    G Benichou, A Valujskikh, P S Heeger
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    ABSTRACT: The immune response to transplanted allogeneic tissues is mediated by T cells that recognize donor histocompatibility Ags either via direct (donor MHC and peptides) or indirect (recipient MHC and donor-derived peptides) allorecognition pathways. The relative contribution of each of these pathways to allograft rejection remains largely unknown. To address this, we used an enzyme-linked immunospot assay to define the frequency and cytokine phenotype of T cells responding via direct and indirect pathways to alloantigens at various time points following placement of allogeneic B10.A skin grafts on BALB/c recipient mice. During acute graft rejection >90% of the anti-B10.A T cell repertoire was directed toward intact donor MHC molecules, while T cells recognizing indirectly presented, donor-derived peptides accounted for <10%. This indirect response was comprised of reactivity toward both MHC-derived and, to a lesser extent, minor Ag-derived determinants. The direct and indirect alloresponses were predominantly detected in recipient lymph nodes and were mediated by T cells displaying a mixed type 1/type 2 cytokine phenotype. Six weeks following rejection, however, the memory allospecific T cell response became predominant in the recipient spleen, with only minimal activity detectable in the draining lymph nodes. This work provides a new approach for analysis of the immunophysiology of allograft rejection and should be useful for monitoring immune responses to graft Ags in human transplant recipients.
    The Journal of Immunology 01/1999; 162(1):352-8. · 5.79 Impact Factor
  • Article: The presentation of self and allogeneic MHC peptides to T lymphocytes.
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    ABSTRACT: The presentation of donor-derived MHC peptides by recipient APCs to T cells is an essential component of the rejection of allografts (indirect allorecognition). Initial alloreactive T cell response is confined to a few well processed and presented dominant determinants on donor MHC. However, during long-term graft rejection, T cell response spreads to formerly poorly presented cryptic allogeneic MHC peptides. This phenomenon is likely to play an important role in the amplification and the perpetuation of the rejection process. Additionally, we present evidence that T cell repertoire selection to allogeneic MHC peptides is acquired via recognition of self-MHC peptides presented in the thymus during ontogeny. Supporting this view, we have shown that indirect alloresponses can lead to self-T cell tolerance breakdown to cross-reactive determinants on self-MHC molecules or alternatively that sensitization of recipients to self-MHC peptides can lead to accelerated graft rejection. It is therefore essential to determine the factors which govern the processing and presentation of self and allogeneic MHC molecules and to elucidate the mechanisms regulating subsequent T cell responses in order to design antigen-specific based immune therapies in transplantation.
    Human Immunology 10/1998; 59(9):540-8. · 2.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: Differential activation of T cells by natural antigen peptide analogues: influence on autoimmune and alloimmune in vivo T cell responses.
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    ABSTRACT: Recent studies using synthetic altered peptide ligands (Analogues) have led to the fine dissection of TCR-mediated T cell functions elicited by Ag recognition. Certain Analogues behave as full agonists of the antigenic peptide while others are partial agonists in that they only trigger selected T cell functions. Additionally, peptide Analogues can behave as antagonists by inhibiting functions of T cell clones when coincubated with the wild-type peptide. In fetal thymic organ cultures, synthetic altered peptide ligands can impact T cell repertoire selection. However, the influence of naturally occurring peptide Analogues on T cell immunity in vivo remains hypothetical. We previously reported that, in B10.A mice, immunogenicity and tolerogenicity of the self-MHC class I peptide, Ld 61-80, were influenced by the presentation of a cross-reactive self-peptide, Kk 61-80. Here, we show that Kk 61-80 self-peptide represents a partial agonist of Ld 61-80 in that it induced the proliferation but not the lymphokine production of Ld 61-80-primed T cells. Next, we showed that presentation of Kk 61-80 Analogue peptide mediated T cell tolerance toward Ld 61-80 self-peptide. Alternatively, when Ld protein represented an alloantigen displayed on transplanted cells, immunization with Kk 61-80 Analogue sensitized recipient mice to Ld 61-80 peptide, thus inducing potent immune responses to donor cells. These results show that the presentation of natural Analogue peptides may represent an essential component of T cell responses involved in autoimmunity and transplant rejection.
    The Journal of Immunology 06/1998; 160(10):4768-75. · 5.79 Impact Factor
  • Article: Induction of T helper 2 immunity to an immunodominant allopeptide.
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    ABSTRACT: Neonatal tolerance to alloantigens and autoantigens in mice is mediated by T helper (Th)2 immunity. If a strong and pure Th2 response could be engaged to alloantigens in adult mice, it might result in allograft tolerance. In an attempt to induce Th2 immunity in adults, we studied the T-cell response to peptide I-A beta(k)58-71 (I-Ap), a dominant indirect pathway determinant during rejection of B10.A skin by BALB/c mice. Our data show that the naturally occurring response to this peptide during rejection is Th1, consistent with the notion that Th1 immunity is central to destruction of the allograft. In contrast, vigorous and unipolar Th2-type immunity to this peptide can be readily induced by intraperitoneal immunization with incomplete Freund's adjuvant, a protocol previously thought to induce T-cell unresponsiveness. Thus, adjuvant can be used to Th2-guide the indirect pathway alloresponse in an effort to antagonize naturally occurring Th1 alloimmunity.
    Transplantation 08/1997; 64(2):292-6. · 4.00 Impact Factor

Institutions

  • 2005–2012
    • Massachusetts General Hospital
      • • Transplant Center
      • • Department of Surgery
      Boston, MA, USA
  • 1995–2000
    • University of California, San Francisco
      • • Division of Hospital Medicine
      • • Department of Surgery
      San Francisco, CA, USA
  • 1990–1994
    • University of California, Los Angeles
      • Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics
      Los Angeles, CA, USA