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Updated: Nov 21, 2025

Generation of Human Alloantigen-specific T Cells from Peripheral Blood
Published on: November 21, 2014
The clonal structure and dynamics of the human T cell response to an organic chemical hapten
Tahel Ronel1,2, Matthew Harries3,4, Kate Wicks3
1Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Diphenylcyclopropenone (DPC) is an organic chemical hapten which induces allergic contact dermatitis and is used in the treatment of warts, melanoma, and alopecia areata. This therapeutic setting therefore provided an opportunity to study T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire changes in response to hapten sensitization in humans. Repeated exposure to DPC induced highly dynamic transient expansions of a polyclonal diverse T cell population. The number of TCRs expanded early after sensitization varies between individuals and predicts the magnitude of the allergic reaction. The expanded TCRs show preferential TCR V and J gene usage and consist of clusters of TCRs with similar sequences, two characteristic features of antigen-driven responses. The expanded TCRs share subtle sequence motifs that can be captured using a dynamic Bayesian network. These observations suggest the response to DPC is mediated by a polyclonal population of T cells recognizing a small number of dominant antigens.
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