| Abstract
| - Recent interest in myoblast transfer and in the use of myoblasts as vehicles in gene therapy has made it important to understand the potential immunogenicity of allogeneic or neoantlgen-expresslng myoblasts. Given the problems of producing a pure population of myoblasts, In this study we used a tumour-derived muscle cell line (TE671), with phenotyplc features of myoblasts, which we transfected to express HLA-DR1. However, this cell line was unable to stimulate either established HLA-DR1-specific alloreactlve T cell clones or a primary alloresponse. Nor could it present haemagglutlnln peptide HA 306-324 to DR1-restricted, HA 306-324-speciflc T cell clones or lines. Indeed, prelncubatlon with DR1-expressing TE671 and HA 306-324 rendered such T cells tolerant as Judged by their subsequent inability to proliferate in response to a DR1+ B cell line plus peptide HA 306-324. These results imply that myoblasts do not provide costlmulatory signals, and are therefore unlikely to stimulate allospeclfic T cells following myoblasts transplantation or to initiate neoantlgen-speclfic immune responses following In vivo transfection.
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