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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Generating De Novo Antigen-specific Human T Cell Receptors by Retroviral Transduction of Centric Hemichain
Published on: October 25, 2016
Different T-cell receptor (TCR) zeta chain expression in cervical cancer and its precursor lesions
Objective:
Cervical cancer is associated with infection of epithelial cells with the human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 and HPV18. A functional signalling machinery in T-cells is required in order to successfully fight and eradicate HPV16+ transformed epithelial cells. One of the key signalling molecules associated with the T-cell receptor (TCR) is the homodimeric zeta chain molecule.
Material And Methods:
28 formalin fixed und paraffin embedded samples of cervical tissue with cervical intraepithelial lesions CIN I (n = 3), CIN III (n = 7), invasive cervical carcinoma (CC) (n = 13) and normal cervical tissue (n = 5) has been evaluated for HPV-PCR und zeta chain immunohistochemistry. For immunohistochemistry a monoclonal IgG1 anti TZR zeta chain-antibody (mAb) has been used (clone 6B 10.2, Santa Cruz, Heidelberg, Germany). According to the performed Western-Blot analysis on peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) the used mAb has specifically recognized TCR zeta chains.
Results:
We show reduced protein zeta chain expression associated with invasive cervical cancer, but not with pre-invasive HPV16-positive lesions or HPV16-negative normal cervix tissue.
Conclusions:
Thus, reduced TCR zeta chain expression is not necessarily linked to a chronic viral infection, nor to the presence of transformed cells, but rather to the stromal invasion of the cancer lesion.
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