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CD40 Ligand‐activated, antigen‐specific B cells are comparable to mature dendritic cells in presenting protein antigens and major histocompatibility complex class I‐ and class II‐binding peptides
Author(s) -
Ahmadi Tahamtan,
Flies Amanda,
Efebera Yvonne,
Sherr David H.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2007.02749.x
Subject(s) - cd40 , antigen presentation , antigen presenting cell , antigen , biology , b cell , microbiology and biotechnology , dendritic cell , cd8 , t cell , cytotoxic t cell , mhc class ii , major histocompatibility complex , immunology , immune system , antibody , in vitro , biochemistry
Summary Dendritic cells (DC) are increasingly exploited for cell‐based immunotherapy. However, limitations in ex vivo DC growth and DC functional heterogeneity have motivated development of complementary antigen‐presenting cell sources. Here, the ability of CD40 ligand (CD40L)‐activated B cells to fulfil that role was investigated. We demonstrate for the first time that non‐specific or antigen‐specific murine B cells can be grown for extended periods of time by stimulation with CD40L. These cells rapidly up‐regulate and maintain high levels of co‐stimulatory molecules. In a head‐to‐head comparison with DC, CD40L‐expanded B cells were comparable to DC in the presentation of peptides to CD4 + and CD8 + T cells. While DC were superior to antigen non‐specific CD40L‐activated B cells with regard to whole protein (NP‐BSA) processing and presentation, CD40L‐expanded B cells from NP‐BSA‐immunized mice were comparable to DC when presenting BSA or NP‐BSA to primed primary T cells or when presenting NP linked to an unrelated carrier, CGG, to naïve T cells. Thus, the combination of CD40L activation, which supports B‐cell growth and augments intracellular protein processing, and antigen uptake via the B‐cell receptor, allows for efficient uptake, processing, and presentation of whole protein antigens in a fashion comparable to that observed with mature DC. Like DC, CD40L‐activated B cells efficiently home to secondary lymphoid organs in vivo . This system represents a unique tool for studying primary antigen‐specific B cells and the results suggest that the outgrowth of large numbers of highly activated B cells represents a viable and practical complement to DC for cell‐based immunotherapy.