Induction of antigen-specific T cell anergy: An early event in the course of tumor progression
K Staveley-O'Carroll, E Sotomayor, J Montgomery, I Borrello, L Hwang, S Fein, D Pardoll, H Levitsky, K Staveley-O'Carroll, E Sotomayor, J Montgomery, I Borrello, L Hwang, S Fein, D Pardoll, H Levitsky
Abstract
The priming of tumor-antigen-specific T cells is critical for the initiation of successful anti-tumor immune responses, yet the fate of such cells during tumor progression is unknown. Naive CD4(+) T cells specific for an antigen expressed by tumor cells were transferred into tumor-bearing mice. Transient clonal expansion occurred early after transfer, accompanied by phenotypic changes associated with antigen recognition. Nevertheless, these cells had a diminished response to peptide antigen in vitro and were unable to be primed in vivo. The development of antigen-specific T cell anergy is an early event in the tumor-bearing host, and it suggests that tolerance to tumor antigens may impose a significant barrier to therapeutic vaccination.
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Source: PubMed