Lymphoma classification--the gap between biology and clinical management is closing.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D L Longo.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Multiple signal transduction cascades, consisting of multiple interacting proteins, are activated following stimulation through most cell surface receptors, including the immunoglobulin receptor of B lymphocytes. In this report, we investigated the multimolecular complexes formed following anti-Ig stimulation of a human B-lymphoma cell line, resulting in activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). PI3K is a lipid kinase that consists of an 85-kD regulatory subunit, bound to a 110-kD catalytic subunit. CD19 is a 95-kD B-cell surface marker that contains a consensus binding motif for PI3Kp85 in the cytoplasmic domain and recruits PI3K activity in activated B cells. The protein product of the c-cbl protooncogene is a 120-kD protein that is expressed in early B-lineage cells and in myeloid cells and is phosphorylated on tyrosine following receptor-mediated signaling in T and B lymphocytes. We demonstrate here that phosphorylated c-cbl complexes with CD19 and with PI3Kp85 via its C-terminal SH2 domain, and that both c-cbl and CD19 are associated with active PI3K in anti-Ig-stimulated cells. Although we cannot differentiate between a three-component, c-cbl/CD19/p85 complex and individual two-component complexes, these studies suggest that c-cbl may function as a docking protein, possibly linking distinct signal transduction pathways.
A point mutation in the pleckstrin homology domain of the mouse Bruton's tyrosine kinase (btk) gene results in an X-linked immune defect, Xid, characterized by immunologic unresponsiveness to polymeric carbohydrate Ags. In Xid mice, B cells specific for phosphocholine (PC) do not develop in peripheral lymphoid tissues because they either fail to be positively selected from the marrow or they are clonally deleted via an Ag-driven, receptor-mediated process. Overexpression of the bcl-2 gene allows PC-specific B cells to survive and mature in Xid mukappa anti-PC transgenic mice, but PC-specific B cells are not rescued by bcl-2 in Xid mu-only transgenic mice. The failure of bcl-2 to rescue PC-specific B cells, in mu-only transgenic mice suggests that either it does not correct the btk defect in the Ag-driven selection process that occurs in pre-B cells and/or in very immature B cells or that a btk-dependent proliferative phase is required for the selection and amplification of the PC-specific B cells in mu-only transgenic mice. The rescue of PC-specific B cells in mukappa transgenic mice indicates that bcl-2 can alter receptor-mediated B cell selection at late stages in B cell development. The rescued PC-specific B cells in Xid male mice do not exhibit an altered proliferation profile in response to B cell-stimulating agents compared with B cells from unmanipulated Xid mice; thus, they fail to respond to soluble anti-mu, or PC-dextran, but they proliferate in response to PC, anti-mu, or anti-id conjugated to Sepharose.
BACKGROUND: Onconase, a protein isolated from oocytes and early embryos of the frog Rana pipiens, shares extensive homology with bovine pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase A) and possesses similar enzyme activity. Onconase is cytotoxic toward cancer cells in vitro and exhibits antitumor activity in animal models. In addition, Onconase has been shown to enhance the cytotoxic activity of some chemotherapeutic agents in vitro. PURPOSE: We studied interactions between the cytotoxic effects of Onconase and the chemotherapeutic agent vincristine (VCR) in the treatment of drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant human colon carcinoma cells in vitro and in mice. METHODS: Transplantable human colon carcinoma cells (HT-29par cells) were infected with a retrovirus containing human mdr1 (also known as MDR1 and PGY1) complementary DNA (encoding P-glycoprotein [P-gp]), and clones that were cross-resistant to colchicine, doxorubicin, and vinblastine were selected (HT-29mdr1 cells). Drug-resistant HT-29mdr1 cells and drug-sensitive HT-29par parental cells were treated with Onconase and/or VCR in vitro at varying concentrations to measure the effects on protein synthesis and cell viability. The impact of Onconase on VCR accumulation in both types of cells was determined in the presence or absence of MRK-16, an anti-P-gp monoclonal antibody capable of reversing the multidrug-resistant phenotype. The antitumor effects of Onconase and/or VCR treatment were assessed in nude mice bearing established HT-29par or HT-29mdr1 intraperitoneal tumors. IC50 values (drug concentrations resulting in 50% inhibition of protein synthesis or cell viability) for Onconase and VCR were determined from semilogarithmic dose-response curves; interactions between the cytotoxic effects of these two agents were evaluated using data from protein synthesis inhibition experiments and a two-way analysis of variance. Survival distributions from in vivo experiments were compared using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The combination of Onconase and VCR yielded enhanced cytotoxicity in vitro that was independent of P-gp expression. Evaluation of the effects of these two compounds on protein synthesis over a wide range of drug concentrations indicated possible synergistic interactions (i.e., greater than additive effects) in both drug-resistant and drug-sensitive cells. The enhancement of VCR cytotoxicity was dependent on Onconase enzyme activity and was not associated with increased intracellular levels of VCR. Simultaneous treatment of mice bearing HT-29par tumors with Onconase and VCR did not extend their median survival time (MST) significantly (MST with VCR = 66 days; MST with VCR plus Onconase = 69 days; two-tailed P = .57); however, the MST of mice with HT-29mdr1 tumors was extended significantly by this treatment (MST with VCR = 44 days; MST with VCR plus Onconase = 66 days; two-tailed P<.001). CONCLUSION: Combined administration of Onconase and VCR yields enhanced cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo against human colon carcinoma cells that overexpress the mdr1 gene.
Recently, genetically modified tumor cell vaccines have been described for nonhematopoietic cancers in which the relevant Ags are unknown. Several of these cell-based vaccine strategies have been shown to induce T cell-mediated systemic antitumor immunity, either by enhancing the processing and presentation of tumor Ags by host APCs or by facilitating effective Ag presentation by the tumor vaccine itself. These strategies were compared in a model B cell lymphoma, a tumor derived from APCs, which have the inherent capacity to activate Ag-specific T cells. Eradication of pre-established systemic lymphoma was achieved following immunization with lymphoma cells engineered to produce granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF, and to a lesser extent cells producing IL-4, whereas vaccination with lymphoma cells transfected with the genes encoding IL-2 or B7-1 had no effect. The systemic immunity generated by GM-CSF- or IL-4-transfected lymphoma required both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Previous immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of lymphoma have focused on the generation of Ab responses targeted to the unique Ig Id as a tumor-specific Ag. Anti-idiotypic Abs were undetectable in animals vaccinated with GM-CSF-transduced lymphoma cells. In contrast, such immunization did result in the induction of Id-specific T cell responses. This is the first demonstration that T cell responses specific for a native tumor Ag are generated by GM-CSF-transduced tumor cell-based vaccination, suggesting that B cell lymphoma may be a suitable disease for genetically modified tumor vaccine strategies.
Stem cell factor (SCF) is a hematopoietic growth factor that interacts with the receptor tyrosine kinase, c-kit. We have found that SCF-stimulates rapid and transient tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2 in human and murine cell lines, as well as in normal human progenitor cells. JAK2 and c-kit were associated in unstimulated cells with further recruitment of JAK2 to the c-kit receptor complex after SCF stimulation. Treatment of cells with JAK2 antisense oligonucleotides resulted in a 46% decrease in SCF-induced proliferation. These data demonstrate that SCF induces tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2 and suggest that JAK2 is a component of the SCF signal transduction pathway.
IL-8 has been shown to be a human neutrophil and T cell chemoattractant in vitro. In an effort to assess the in vivo effects of IL-8 on human leukocyte migration, we examined the ability of rhIL-8 to induce human T cell infiltration using a human/mouse model in which SCID mice were administered human peripheral blood lymphocytes intraperitoneally, followed by subcutaneous injections of rhIL-8. rhIL-8 induced predominantly murine neutrophil accumulation by 4 h after administration while recombinant human macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta (rhMIP-1beta) induced both murine monocytes and human T cell infiltration during the same time period as determined by immunohistology. Interestingly, 72 h after chemokine administration, a marked human T cell infiltrate was observed in the IL-8 injection site suggesting that rhIL-8 may be acting indirectly possibly through a murine neutrophil-derived T cell chemoattractant. This hypothesis was confirmed using granulocyte-depleted SCID mice. Moreover, human neutrophils stimulated in vitro with IL-8 were found to release granule-derived factor(s) that induce in vitro T cell and monocyte chemotaxis and chemokinesis. This T cell and monocyte chemotactic activity was detected in extracts of both azurophilic and specific granules. Together, these results demonstrate that neutrophils store and release, upon stimulation with IL-8 or other neutrophil activators, chemoattractants that mediate T cell and monocyte accumulation at sites of inflammation.
To develop a rapid preclinical in vivo model to study gene transfer into human hematopoietic progenitor cells, MO-7e cells (CD-34+, c-kit+) were infected with multidrug resistance (MDR1)-containing retroviruses and then transplanted into nonobese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice (NOD SCID). MO-7e cells infected with a retrovirus encoding the human MDR1 cDNA showed integration, transcription, and expression of the transfered MDR1 gene. This resulted in a 20-fold increase in the resistance of MO-7e cells to paclitaxel in vitro. The expression of the MDR1 gene product was stable over a 6-month period in vitro without selection in colchicine. MO-7e and MDR1-infected MO-7e cells were transplanted into NOD SCID mice to determine whether MDR1 could confer drug resistance in vivo. A sensitive polymerase chain reaction method specific for human sequences was developed to quantitate the level of human cell engraftment in NOD SCID bone marrow (BM) cells. The percentage of human DNA in BM cells from MO-7e-transplanted mice was 10.9% and decreased to 0.7% in mice treated with paclitaxel. The percentage of human DNA in infected-MO-7e transplanted mice was 7.6% and that level was unchanged in mice treated with paclitaxel. These results show that expression of the MDR1 gene in human hematopoietic progenitor cells can confer functional drug resistance in an in vivo model.
Persistence of the underlying malignancy remains the major obstacle limiting the success of high-dose chemoradiotherapy with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for lymphomas and multiple myeloma. We used the C3H 38C13 murine B-cell lymphoma, which expresses and secretes clonally derived Ig, the idiotype of which can serve as a tumor-specific antigen, to test the principle of transfer of tumor idiotype-specific immunity with BM. BALB/c marrow donors were twice immunized with 38C13-derived Ig, or with an isotype-matched control Ig, conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Lethally irradiated C3H recipients reconstituted with marrow from idiotype immune, but not nonspecifically immune, donors demonstrated protection against subsequent lethal tumor challenge. The immunoprotective effect of immune allogeneic marrow was abrogated by T-cell depletion of the marrow graft before infusion. Low levels of serum anti-idiotypic antibody remained unaltered in recipients of T-cell-depleted immune marrow, consistent with a primary role for T-cell immunity in the cellular mechanism of this phenomenon. A modest therapeutic effect of immune allogeneic marrow was observed against 10 day, 1 cm established subcutaneous tumors, but only in combination with a booster immunization of the recipient post-BMT. These results provide the rationale for a novel strategy for enhancing the specific antitumor effect of allogeneic marrow grafts.
While chemokines primarily promote chemotaxis, it is apparent that these cytokines also modulate a number of other biologic activities, including adhesion, degranulation, cytotoxicity, and enzyme release. We demonstrate here that the beta chemokines, recombinant human macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha and -1 beta, RANTES (regulated upon activation, normally T cell expressed and secreted), and macrophage chemotactic peptide-1, are capable of directly costimulating purified human T cell and human T cell clone proliferation and IL-2 production in the presence of anti-CD3 mAb, but not phorbol esters, in vitro. This costimulatory activity was dose and donor dependent and required the presence of free extracellular calcium as well as endogenously produced IL-2. Chemokine treatment of human T cells in vitro increased the level of cell surface CD25 and soluble CD25. In addition, these chemokines enhanced both Ag- and alloantigen-specific T cell and T cell clone proliferation. This activity was further augmented in the presence of the CD28 ligand, B7-1. Neutralization analyses using chemokine-specific Abs revealed that endogenously produced chemokines are important costimulatory mediators in human T cell activation. Together, these results suggest that chemokines not only play an important role in lymphocyte recruitment to inflammatory sites, but also participate in T cell activation.
Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated that the chemokines RANTES (recombinant human regulated upon activation, normally T cell expressed and presumably secreted), macrophage chemotactic peptide-1, recombinant human macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (rhMIP-1 alpha) IL-8, and IP-10 are capable of inducing human T cell infiltration into the injection site of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice reconstituted with human PBL. However, the ability of these chemokines to facilitate T cell homing into various lymphoid tissues has not been examined. Initial studies focused on the ability of rhMIP-1 beta to induce human T cell infiltration into injection sites in human PBL-SCID mice. SCID mice received s.c. injections of rhMIP-1 beta or PBS (1 microgram/injection) in the hindflank for 4 h or sequential injections for 3 days. Biopsies of the MIP-1 beta injection site revealed the presence of significant mononuclear cell accumulation 72 h after injection. Immunohistologic evaluation determined that significant numbers of human CD3+ T cells were recruited in response to MIP-1 beta injections, and this infiltration could be specifically blocked by co-administration of anti-MIP-1 beta antiserum. We subsequently examined these chemokine-injected mice for the effect of trafficking of human T cells to peripheral lymphoid organs. Flow cytometric analysis of the thymus in human PBL-SCID mice revealed that treatment with rhMIP-1 beta or rhRANTES, but not platelet factor-4, resulted in improved thymic homing of the human T cells after 72 h. This trafficking effect was shown to be direct, as pretreatment of the human T cells with the chemokines in vitro also improved peripheral lymphoid trafficking of the human cells. In addition, co-injection of rhMIP-1 beta with anti-1 beta antiserum abrogated the increase in T cell homing to the thymus. These data demonstrate that MIP-1 beta and RANTES directly augment human T cell trafficking to peripheral murine lymphoid tissues. Chemokines may, therefore, under either isogeneic or xenogeneic conditions, play a role in normal lymphocyte recirculation and homing, and may be of potential clinical use in promoting immune cell trafficking and function.
The human cytokine, interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), is a small glycoprotein secreted by activated monocytes, T cells, keratinocytes, astrocytes, and endothelial cells and is structurally related to the alpha subfamily of chemotactic cytokines called chemokines (Taub and Oppenheim, Cytokine 5:175, 1993). However, in contrast to other alpha chemokines that induce neutrophil migration, IP-10 has been shown to chemoattract monocytes and T lymphocytes in vitro, suggesting a role in T-cell-mediated immune responses. We therefore examined the effects of human IP-10 after in vivo administration. IP-10 induces significant mononuclear cell infiltration after subcutaneous injections in normal mice. In an effort to study the in vivo effects of IP-10 on human leukocyte migration, we then examined the ability of recombinant human IP-10 (rhIP-10) to induce human-T-cell infiltration using a human/severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) mouse model. SCID mice received an intraperitoneal injection of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (10(8) cells), followed by a subcutaneous injection of rhIP-10 (1 micrograms/injection) in the hind flank for 4 hours or sequential injections for 3 days. The skin and underlying tissue from the rhIP-10 injection site were then biopsied and examined for the extent of mononuclear cell infiltration. rhIP-10 again induced significant mononuclear cell accumulation 72 hours after injection. Immunohistologic evaluation determined that a significant number of human CD3+ T cells were recruited in response to rhIP-10 injections. These results show that rhIP-10 is capable of inducing human T-cell migration in vivo and may play an important role in monocyte and lymphocyte recruitment into inflammatory sites.
Reports that interleukin-8 (IL-8) induces the infiltration of neutrophils followed by T-cells into injection sites led us to postulate that by stimulation of neutrophil degranulation IL-8 may cause the release of factors with chemoattractant activity for T-lymphocytes. Extracts of human neutrophil granules were chromatographed to isolate and purify T-lymphocyte chemoattractant factors. Two major peaks of T-cell chemotactic activity were purified by C18 reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The first peak was resolved further by C4 reversed phase HPLC and yielded an active fraction shown by NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis to contain defensins HNP-1, HNP-2, and HNP-3. Purified defensins HNP-1 and HNP-2 (kindly provided by Dr. R. I. Lehrer, UCLA) were also potent chemoattractants for human T-cells, while HNP-3 was inactive. The second peak of T-cell chemoattractant activity was also further purified to homogeneity by C4 reversed phase HPLC and identified by NH2-terminal sequence analysis as CAP37/azurocidin, a protein with sequence homology to serine proteases. 0.1 100 ng of defensins and 1.0 100 ng/ml CAP37 were able to stimulate in vitro T-cell chemotaxis. Neutrophil activating factors, i.e. IL-8, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate/ionomycin, and formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine each induced the release of CAP37 and defensins from neutrophil granules. Subcutaneous administration of defensins or CAP37/azurocidin into BALB/c mice resulted in a moderate neutrophil and mononuclear cell infiltrate by 4 h, which was greater by 24 h at the site of injection. Additionally, subcutaneous injection of defensins into chimeric huPBL-SCID mice resulted in significant infiltration by human CD3+ cells within 4 h. These results identify the antimicrobial proteins, CAP37/azurocidin and defensins HNP-1 and HNP-2, as potent neutrophil-derived chemoattractants for T-cells. These proteins represent primordial antimicrobial peptides which may have evolved into acute inflammatory cell-derived signals that mobilize immunocompetent T-cells and other inflammatory cells.
BACKGROUND: The rising incidence of malignant melanoma and the lack of curative therapies for metastatic disease represent a therapeutic challenge. New agents effective in treating this disease are needed. PURPOSE: Because of the additive antitumor effects of interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and indomethacin in vivo, we conducted a phase II trial of this combination in patients with melanoma. We used the recommended dose determined from our phase I trial to ascertain the antitumor activity of the combination. METHODS: From August 1, 1990, through July 28, 1992, 49 patients entered the study. They were stratified into two groups based on the presence of visceral (n = 14) and nonvisceral (n = 35) metastases. The patients received 7 days of both IL-1 alpha (O.1 micrograms/kg per day by intravenous bolus) infusion) and indomethacin (50 mg orally every 8 hours). At least two cycles of therapy, repeated at 21-day intervals, were planned. Additional treatment was given to those patients who had stable or responding lesions. A chi-squared test for homogeneity of proportions was used to compare groups on several measures. All P values resulted from two-sided tests. RESULTS: Fever, chills, and hypotension were among the most common side effects. None of the 14 patients with visceral metastases responded to the treatment. Of the 35 patients with non-visceral metastases, three showed a partial response for 6 months each and one showed a complete response for more than 34 months; the response rate was 11% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 5%-26%). All responding patients required phenylephrine for treatment of IL-1 alpha-induced hypotension, whereas six (19%) of 31 of the nonresponding patients with nonvisceral metastases required phenylephrine (P = .0008). The response rate in women was higher; three of 10 women (30%; 95% CI = 11%-60%) responded, whereas one of 25 men (4%; 95% CI = 0%-20%) responded (P = .029). All three women were positive for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) B7 expression (P = .011). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of IL-1 alpha and indomethacin has minimal antitumor activity in melanoma patients. All responses were confined to patients with nonvisceral metastases. IL-1 alpha-induced hypotension, gender, and HLA B7 expression were positively associated with response. IMPLICATIONS: Administration of higher doses of IL-1 alpha alone has been shown to produce hypotension in a large proportion of patients but can be given safely with phenylephrine support. Because of the association of hypotension with antitumor activity, treatment with higher IL-1 alpha doses alone may be a strategy for attaining better response rates.
Stimulation of B lymphocytes through the Ig receptor initiates a cascade of biochemical changes, which can ultimately lead to either activation and growth, or cell-cycle arrest and cell death. One of the critical events that occurs in both cases is the activation of tyrosine kinases, and the resulting phosphorylation of a variety of proteins on tyrosine residues. In this report we identify one of the substrates of phosphorylation as the 85-kD subunit of the enzyme phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), and show that both anti-IgM and anti-IgD stimulation results in an increase in the anti-phosphotyrosine-precipitable PI3K activity. Furthermore, we show that the potent and specific inhibitor of PI3K, Wortmannin, can completely abrogate anti-Ig-mediated growth inhibition without affecting tyrosine kinase induction or protein kinase C (PKC) activation. Treatment of intact cells with Wortmannin results in an irreversible decrease in anti-Ig-induced PI3K activity, suggesting that the effect of Wortmannin on anti-Ig-mediated growth inhibition is caused by its inactivation of PI3K activity. Taken together, these data show that activation of PI3K is a critical component of the anti-Ig-initiated signaling cascade that leads to growth inhibition of human B lymphoma cells.
We report here the ability of the beta chemokines MIP-1 alpha, MIP-1 beta, RANTES, and MCP-1 to enhance some lymphocyte effector functions. Initial studies focused on the effects of chemokines on human and mouse cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)- and natural killer (NK) cell-specific cytolytic responses. The results demonstrate that beta chemokines are capable of augmenting mouse and human CTL and human NK- but not lymphokine-activated killer cell- or antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity-specific cytolytic responses. Neutralization analysis utilizing integrin-specific antibodies revealed that CTL/NK tumor cell conjugate formation is required for chemokine-induced killing. In addition, both CTLs and NK cells incubated with various beta chemokines were induced to degranulate and release granule-derived serine esterases, suggesting that chemokines may be important costimulators of CTL and NK cell degranulation and may thus augment local target cell destruction. Chemokines also modulate antigen-driven T cell proliferative responses as well as effects on lymphokine production. Many of the beta chemokines were found to potentiate human and mouse antigen-specific Th1 and Th2 clone activation promoting cellular proliferation and the release of various lymphokines. This chemokine-mediated T cell proliferation was chemokine and antigen dose dependent as well as clone dependent. Chemokine pretreatment analyses with T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) revealed that chemokines up-regulate both T cells and antigen- presenting cells (APCs) revealed that chemokines up-regulate both T cell and APC functions. Costimulation assays using immobilized antiCD3 monoclonal antibody-coated plates and purified human and mouse T cells and T cell clones in the presence of various chemokines also exhibited enhanced proliferation and lymphokine secretion. This costimulation was interleukin-2 dependent and required the presence of free extracellular calcium. Examination of chemokine-treated APCs revealed that the T cell costimulatory molecule B7-1 was induced by various beta chemokines. Neutralization of endogenously produced chemokines, with specific antibodies during an antigen-specific T cell response blocked cellular proliferation, suggesting that the chemokines have an autocrine role in antigen-induced T cell proliferative responses. Together, these results suggest that chemokines play a significant role in the activation of polyclonal as well as antigen-specific helper and cytotoxic T cells during the genesis of an immune response.
The monoclonal antibody (mAb) R24 is a murine immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3) that reacts with the GD3 disialoganglioside present on melanoma cells as well as a subset of T cells. R24 mAb has induced antitumor responses both alone and in combination with interleukin-2 (IL-2) in clinical trials. We have reported T cell activation via GD3 as measured by the induction of tyrosine phosphorylation. In this study a more detailed analysis of signal transduction after ligation of GD3 was performed in an attempt to understand the mechanism of in vivo therapeutic benefits observed. Analysis of subsequent events indicated that GD3 engagement resulted in phospholipase C(gamma) phosphorylation and calcium flux. When ras-associated events were examined, GD3 signaling resulted in ras activation as determined by GDP/GTP conversion as well as dose-and time-dependent IP3 activation. In addition, the majority of the IP3 activation by GD3 was inhibited by herbimycin A pretreatment. Elucidation of the nature and potential role of this moiety in GD3 signal transduction should be useful. Collectively, these data suggest a novel mechanism of T cell activation via a single, non-protein, surface moiety. This novel form of T cell-mediated activation may permit the delivery and local activation of effector cells at the tumor resulting in site-specific activation of the immune system.
The transfer of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (huPBL) into mice with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) has allowed for the generation of a model in which it is possible to examine human immune cell function in vivo. This model also provides the researcher an invaluable tool with which to examine human disease states and to evaluate potential therapies using human cells and reagents under more physiological conditions. However, it is clear that there are still significant obstacles that need to be addressed to optimize this model. The primary problem with the huPBL-SCID mouse is the tremendous variability in the extent of human cell engraftment which can vary from donor to donor and even from mouse to mouse using the same huPBL donor. This variability currently limits attempts to standardize this model among investigators and subsequently, various laboratories have employed different methods to optimize and ascertain the extent of human cell engraftment. In addition, there appears to be significant xenogeneic host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host reactions, as well as lethal EBV-induced B-cell lymphomas that can spontaneously arise which may further complicate the interpretation of human immunological studies performed in these mice. Despite these obstacles, the huPBL-SCID model has the potential to serve as a model for the examination of human lymphoid cells in an in-vivo setting and has been usefully applied to the study of various human disease states including AIDS, transplantations, autoimmunity and cancer.