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Originally published in Science Express on 16 February 2006
Science 31 March 2006:
Vol. 311. no. 5769, pp. 1924 - 1927
DOI: 10.1126/science.1122927
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Reports

Selective Stimulation of T Cell Subsets with Antibody-Cytokine Immune Complexes

Onur Boyman,1 Marek Kovar,1 Mark P. Rubinstein,1 Charles D. Surh,1 Jonathan Sprent1,2*

Interleukin-2 (IL-2), which is a growth factor for T lymphocytes, can also sometimes be inhibitory. Thus, the proliferation of CD8+ T cells in vivo is increased after the injection of a monoclonal antibody that is specific for IL-2 (IL-2 mAb), perhaps reflecting the removal of IL-2–dependent CD4+ T regulatory cells (T regs). Instead, we show here that IL-2 mAb augments the proliferation of CD8+ cells in mice simply by increasing the biological activity of preexisting IL-2 through the formation of immune complexes. When coupled with recombinant IL-2, some IL-2/IL-2 mAb complexes cause massive (>100-fold) expansion of CD8+ cells in vivo, whereas others selectively stimulate CD4+ T regs. Thus, different cytokine-antibody complexes can be used to selectively boost or inhibit the immune response.

1 Department of Immunology, IMM4, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
2 Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j.sprent{at}garvan.org.au

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)