Successful generation of primary virus-specific and anti-tumor T-cell responses from the naive donor T-cell repertoire is determined by the balance between antigen-specific precursor T cells and regulatory T cells

Abstract

In conclusion, we present a robust method for the in-vitro induction and isolation of antigen-specific T cells from the naïve repertoire. We demonstrate that the likelihood of successful generation of primary immune responses is determined by a delicate balance between the numbers of antigen-specific precursor T cells and the numbers and activation state of regulatory T cells locally at the site of priming of the immune response.