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Updated: Jul 31, 2026

HLA-Ig Based Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells for Efficient ex vivo Expansion of Human CTL
Published on: April 11, 2011
An APC for every occasion: induction and expansion of human Ag-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells using cellular and
M Grübe1, J J Melenhorst, A J Barrett
1Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
APC are used extensively to induce and expand Ag-specific T cells as well as to test their specificity and function. In the treatment of malignant and infectious diseases, APC are used to stimulate and expand Ag-specific T cells for adoptive transfer, or used directly in vivo to present Ag. The choice of APC to use depends on the particular application and on practical considerations, which include ease of production, availability, reproducibility and (for clinical use) established safety. The diversity of APC in use partly reflects the fact that no single technique of Ag presentation is ideal. For the clinician and laboratory worker alike the field can seem illogical and confusing. In this review we outline the functional requirements of APC for the induction of T cells, classify the APC in common use and describe their laboratory and clinical applications.
APC are used extensively to induce and expand Ag-specific T cells as well as to test their specificity and function. In the treatment of malignant and infectious diseases, APC are used to stimulate and expand Ag-specific T cells for adoptive transfer, or used directly in vivo to present Ag. The choice of APC to use depends on the particular application and on practical considerations, which include ease of production, availability, reproducibility and (for clinical use) established safety. The diversity of APC in use partly reflects the fact that no single technique of Ag presentation is ideal. For the clinician and laboratory worker alike the field can seem illogical and confusing. In this review we outline the functional requirements of APC for the induction of T cells, classify the APC in common use and describe their laboratory and clinical applications.

