Imprinting of lymphocytes with melanoma antigens acquired by trogocytosis facilitates identification of tumor-reactive T cells.

ABSTRACT: Trogocytosis is a contact-dependent intercellular transfer of membrane fragments and associated molecules from APCs to effector lymphocytes. We previously demonstrated that trogocytosis also occurs between tumor target and cognate melanoma Ag-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL). In this study, we show that, following trogocytosis, immune effector cells acquire molecular components of the tumor, including surface Ags, which are detectable by specific mAbs. We demonstrate that CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells from melanoma patients' PBMC and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) capture melanoma Ags, enabling identification of trogocytosing lymphocytes by staining with Ag-specific Abs. This finding circumvents the necessity of tumor prelabeling, which in the past was mandatory to detect membrane-captur

SUBMITTER: Eisenberg G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3698316 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature