Reduced positive selection of a human TCR in a swine thymus using a humanized mouse model for xenotolerance induction.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tolerance-inducing approaches to xenotransplantation would be optimal and may be necessary for long-term survival of transplanted pig organs in human patients. The ideal approach would generate donor-specific unresponsiveness to the pig organ without suppressing the patient's normal immune function. Porcine thymus transplantation has shown efficacy in promoting xenotolerance in humanized mice and large animal models. However, murine studies demonstrate that T cells selected in a swine thymus are positively selected only by swine thymic epithelial cells, and therefore, cells expressing human HLA-restricted TCRs may not be selected efficiently in a transplanted pig thymus. This may lead to suboptimal patient immune function.

Methods

To assess human thymocyte selecti

SUBMITTER: Nauman G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7007369 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature