T-CELLS SPECIFICALLY RECOGNIZING MINOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGEN(S) AND USES THEREOF FOR ELIMINATING TARGET CELLS

摘要

This invention relates to T-cells that specifically recognize minor histocompatibility antigen(s), methods for selecting these T-cells and uses thereof for eliminating target cells, and more particularly for eliminating hematopoietic cancerous cells. The invention is based on 1) the priming of T-cells specifically reacting against a selected immunodominant ubiquitous MiHA that is expressed by target cells and by non-target cells; and also 2) the selection of a 100 % purified population of T-cells that specifically react against an immunodominant minor histocompatibility antigen which is ubiquitously expressed by the recipient's cells or selectively expressed by specific recipient's target cells only. The major advantage of the invention is that the T-cells used therein can be transferred from a donor to a compatible recipient without causing to the latter a graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) reaction.