Enhancement of CD4(+) T cell response and survival via coexpressed OX40/OX40L in Graves' disease.

OX40/OX40L pathway plays a very important role in the antigen priming T cells and effector T cells. In the present study, we aimed to examine the involvement of OX40/OX40L pathway in the activation of autoreactive T cells in patients with Grave's disease (GD). We found that OX40 and OX40L were constitutively coexpressed on peripheral CD4(+) T cells from GD patients using flow cytometry analysis.

Two novel monoclonal antibodies against human CD133-2: distinct epitopes and agonist activity to enhance growth of CD133 expression cells in vitro.

Human AC133 antigen, also called CD133, is a unique transmembrane glycoprotein encoded by the PROM1 gene. It was initially suggested as a cell surface marker for hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and has also been identified recently as a cancer stem cell marker in brain, colorectal, and prostate cancers. AC133 has two isoforms, one is AC133-1 and the other is AC133-2.

Transcriptional profiles during the differentiation and maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells, analyzed using focused microarrays.

Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells capable of initiating primary immune responses. They have been intensively studied and are used in both basic immunology research and clinical immunotherapy. However, the genetic pathways leading to DC differentiation and maturation remain poorly understood.

[Preparation of two mouse anti-human PD-1 monoclonal antibodies and identification of their biological characteristics].

Aim: To prepare mouse anti-human PD-1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and identify their biological characteristics.

Methods: The BALB/c mice were immunized with the transfected cell line PD-1/L929. The cells were fused with Sp2/0 using monoclonal antibody techniques and the positive clones were screened by FCS with PD-1/L929.

4IgB7-H3 is the major isoform expressed on immunocytes as well as malignant cells.

Human B7-H3, a novel member of B7 family, has two isoforms (2IgB7-H3 and 4IgB7-H3). As costimulatory functions of both isoforms are not clarified, there has been much discussion on their expression patterns, T-cell responses, etc. This study generated two specific mouse anti-human 2IgB7-H3 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (7D7 and 10F1), whose specificities are quite different from those of the available B7-H3 mAb (21D4) by competition assay.

Characterization and application of two novel monoclonal antibodies against human OX40: costimulation of T cells and expression on tumor as well as normal gland tissues.

OX40, a membrane-bound molecule of the tumor-necrosis-factor-receptor superfamily, is a critical costimulatory receptor during the immune response. Here, we newly generated two specific mouse antihuman OX40 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (2G2 and 1F7), whose specificities are quite different from the available OX40 mAb (ACT35) by competition assay. It was also found that both mAbs could enhance the proliferation, activation and differentiation of T lymphocytes primed by anti-CD3 mAb.

Characterization and functional study of five novel monoclonal antibodies against human OX40L highlight reverse signalling: enhancement of IgG production of B cells and promotion of maturation of DCs.

OX40 ligand (OX40L), a molecule originally identified as human gp34, is an important co-stimulatory molecule during immune response. In this study, we report on five functional mouse anti-human OX40L monoclonal antibodies named as 9H10, 4C12, 8D10, 4H4 and 1G1, characterized by means of flow cytometry, Western blot and competition assay. These monoclonal antibodies bound to distinct OX40L epitopes on activated B cells and dendritic cells (DCs) and two of them could suppress the proliferation of T lymphocytes co-stimulated by mature DCs.