METHODS FOR PREVENTING GRAFT REJECTION IN TRANSPLANTATION AND FOR PRODUCING A UNIVERSAL GENE THERAPY HOST CELL USING LYMPHOCYTE ACTIVATION (LAG-3)

摘要

A method to prevent graft rejection of transplanted cells, tissues or organswithout general immunosuppression is described. Themethod employs a newly discovered protein, LAG-3. When allogeneic orxenogeneic cells are engineered to express LAG-3 on theirsurface and transplanted, immune destruction of the implanted cell, tissue ororgan is prevented, while the host's immune system remainsfunctional. A particular application of this method allows the preparation ofa universal gene therapy host cell expressing LAG-3 on itssurface for protection from graft rejection by a host's immune system.