Fibroblasts as Efficient Antigen-Presenting Cells in Lymphoid Organs

• DOI: 10.1126/science.7761853
• Publication Date: 2006-10-27T18:19:42Z
• Authors: Thomas M. Kündig; Martin F. Bachmann; Claudio DiPaolo; John J. L. Simard; Manuel Battegay; Heinz Lother; André Gessner; Klaus Kühlcke; Pamela S. Ohashi; Hans Hengartner; Rolf M. Zinkernagel
• Keywords: Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; 0301 basic medicine; Lymphoid Tissue; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; Antigen-Presenting Cells; Fibroblasts; Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis; Transfection; 3. Good health; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice; Viral Proteins; 03 medical and health sciences; L Cells; Neoplasms; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Animals; Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; Glycoproteins; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic

Only so-called "professional" antigen-presenting cells (APCs) of hematopoietic origin are believed capable inducing T lymphocyte responses. However, fibroblasts transfected with viral proteins directly induced antiviral cytotoxic responses in vivo, without involvement host APCs. Fibroblasts only the milieu lymphoid organs. Thus, antigen localization affects self-nonself discrimination and cell-based vaccine strategies.