Killer artificial antigen-presenting cells: a novel strategy to delete specific T cells

Several cell-based immunotherapy strategies have been developed to specifically modulate T cell-mediated immune responses. These methods frequently rely on the utilization of tolerogenic cell-based antigen-presenting cells (APCs). However, APCs are highly sensitive to cytotoxic T-cell responses, thus limiting their therapeutic capacity. Here, we describe a novel bead-based approach to modulate T-cell responses in an antigen-specific fashion. We have generated killer artificial APCs (kappaaAPCs) by coupling an apoptosis-inducing alpha-Fas (CD95) IgM mAb together with HLA-A2 Ig molecules onto beads. These kappaaAPCs deplete targeted antigen-specific T cells in a Fas/Fas ligand (FasL)-dependent fashion. T-cell depletion in cocultures is rapidly initiated (30 minutes), dependent on the amount of kappaaAPCs and independent of activation-induced cell death (AICD). kappaaAPCs represent a novel technology that can control T cell-mediated immune responses, and therefore has potential for use in treatment of autoimmune diseases and allograft rejection.