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Biomedical subjects

F H Bach

Publications and source records attributed to F H Bach.

At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources

Genetic engineering as an approach to xenotransplantation.

A discordant organ xenograft, such as a heart or kidney transplanted from pig to human, is rejected within 1 to 2 hours by a process called hyperacute rejection (HAR) caused in large or full measure by preexisting host xenoreactive natural antibodies (XNAs) and complement. HAR can be averted by blocking either complement or XNAs; but the xenograft is then rejected at 3 to 4 days by a process called delayed xenograft rejection (DXR), which can occur without the presence of T cells. DXR involves type II endothelial cell (EC) activation (the phase of activation that includes up-regulation of proinflammatory genes in the EC), infiltration into the graft of host monocytes and natural killer cells (both of which appear to be activated), and a complex cytokine picture. We discuss in this paper various approaches that might help prevent DXR, after which we assume that one would still have to deal with a xenograft counterpart of the T cell-mediated allograft rejection response. The approach to avoiding DXR focuses largely on genetic engineering of the ECs in the graft.

Animals↗

Detection of a novel human class II HLA antigen.

Genetic, molecular and cellular analyses of the HLA-D region of the major histocompatability complex (MHC) in man have led to the definition of three different products. Two of these, DR and MB (the latter also known as DC (ref. 1) and LB-E (ref. 2)) are defined with serological reagents; the third, known as SB (ref. 3) and PL-3 (ref. 4) is defined with primed lymphocyte typing (PLT) cells. The classical features attributed to HLA-D region encoded (class II) molecules are that they are cell-surface dimers consisting of a structurally conserved alpha-chain noncovalently associated with a polymorphic beta-chain and that they are found primarily on B lymphocytes, some monocyte populations, endothelial and certain other cells. Using these criteria a monoclonal antibody, B7/21, was described as reactive with HLA-DR (ref. 7). We have now re-evaluated B7/21 antibody reactivity using mutant lymphoblastoid cell lines. It appears that this antibody does not react with the molecularly defined D region products described to date but instead, recognizes a class II antigen with distinctive molecular characteristics. We provisionally refer to this antigen as FA.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Sequence polymorphism of HLA DR beta 1 alleles relating to T-cell-recognized determinants.

HLA class II molecules are a highly polymorphic family of dimeric cell-surface proteins primarily involved in regulating T-cell responses to extrinsic antigens. To define regions of class II molecules involved in T-cell recognition, we have now compared sequences of three HLA DR beta cDNA clones obtained from cells that all express the same serologically defined determinants but differ in terms of T-cell-recognized specificities. The comparisons indicate that very few (one to four) nucleotides differ between what are almost certainly alleles of the DR beta 1 locus. All differences were in the first domain of the molecule and all localized to a region from amino acids 71-86. Because all differences were found only in this region of the molecule, and because DR alpha-chains seem to be relatively non-polymorphic, these positions in the DR beta-chain must have a major role in influencing T-cell recognition of the DR molecule.

Alleles↗

Polymorphism of human Ia antigens generated by reciprocal intergenic exchange between two DR beta loci.

Class II molecules encoded by the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are involved in regulating T-cell response to antigens. The mechanisms for generating polymorphism in products of the MHC have been studied extensively for both the murine H-2 and the human HLA complex. Such studies indicate that point mutations plus selection have a major role in the generation of polymorphisms of class I and class II MHC genes. However, a non-reciprocal gene conversion mechanism has been proposed to explain several examples of clustered sequence variation in MHC genes. In all these examples, the proposed gene conversion event is unidirectional; that is, one of the two interacting genes acts as sequence donor and the other as sequence recipient. No examples of potential reciprocal genetic exchange (as occurs in the fungal system), in which the two interacting genes act as both donor and recipient of gene fragments, have been found in the MHC system or in other multigene families of higher organisms. We sequenced two different HLA-DR beta complementary DNAs from each of two different cells all expressing the same serologically defined determinant (DR2) but different T-cell-recognized (Dw) specificities (Dw12 and MN2). Sequence comparisons of these four cDNA clones (and two DR beta amino-acid sequences from the DR2-Dw2 subtype) suggest that new coding sequences for DR beta molecules in the DR2 haplotypes are potentially generated by reciprocal intergenic exchange.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Signal requirements in the step-wise functional maturation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

The generation of effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes from resting precursors proceeds through a series of steps in a pathway that, in aggregate, involves both proliferation and development of cytotoxicity. To understand the relationship of the various signals (mitogens and/or lymphokines) that bring about progress along this pathway, it is desirable to define a series of 'minimal signals', each of which stimulates the cell to proceed to a further stage in this process of differentiation. Stimulation of lymphocytes with two different monoclonal antibodies directed against the CD2 surface molecule induces a proliferative response; we report here that both CD4+ and CD8+ cells proliferate in response to such a stimulus but do not develop cytotoxicity. Addition of recombinant gamma-interferon (rIFN-gamma) or recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2) to the activated cells leads to acquisition of cytotoxic status by the CD8+ cells but not the CD4+ cells. The availability, in addition to precursors and effectors, of an apparently intermediate stage in the form of proliferating CD8+ cells that are non-cytotoxic should facilitate both cellular and molecular studies of this maturation pathway; the differences between CD4+ and CD8+ cells in development of cytotoxicity under these experimental conditions is a valuable model for understanding differentiation of T lymphocytes.

Cells, Cultured↗