1. Academic Validation
  2. 4-1BB ligand induces cell division, sustains survival, and enhances effector function of CD4 and CD8 T cells with similar efficacy

4-1BB ligand induces cell division, sustains survival, and enhances effector function of CD4 and CD8 T cells with similar efficacy

  • J Immunol. 2001 Aug 1;167(3):1313-24. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.167.3.1313.
J L Cannons 1 P Lau B Ghumman M A DeBenedette H Yagita K Okumura T H Watts
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1A8.
Abstract

A costimulatory member of the TNFR family, 4-1BB, is expressed on activated T cells. Although some reports have suggested that 4-1BB is primarily involved in CD8 T cell activation, in this report we demonstrate that both CD4 and CD8 T cells respond to 4-1BB ligand (4-1BBL) with similar efficacy. CD4 and CD8 TCR transgenic T cells up-regulate 4-1BB, OX40, and CD27 and respond to 4-1BBL-mediated costimulation during a primary response to peptide Ag. 4-1BBL enhanced proliferation, cytokine production, and CTL effector function of TCR transgenic T cells. To compare CD4 vs CD8 responses to 4-1BBL under similar conditions of antigenic stimulation, we performed MLRs with purified CD4 or CD8 responders from CD28(+/+) and CD28(-/-) mice. We found that CD8 T cells produced IL-2 and IFN-gamma in a 4-1BBL-dependent manner, whereas under the same conditions the CD4 T cells produced IL-2 and IL-4. 4-1BBL promoted survival of CD4 and CD8 T cells, particularly at late stages of the MLR. CD4 and CD8 T cells both responded to anti-CD3 plus s4-1BBL with a similar cytokine profile as observed in the MLR. CD4 and CD8 T cells exhibited enhanced proliferation and earlier cell division when stimulated with anti-CD3 plus anti-CD28 compared with anti-CD3 plus 4-1BBL, and both subsets responded comparably to anti-CD3 plus 4-1BBL. These data support the idea that CD28 plays a primary role in initial T cell expansion, whereas 4-1BB/4-1BBL sustains both CD4 and CD8 T cell responses, as well as enhances cell division and T cell effector function.

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