The Failure of Allogeneic Cells to Maintain an Immune Response in Nude Mice

Abstract

Nude mice that have been injected with allogeneic thymus cells and sheep erythrocytes respond for a short time and are then unable to respond to subsequent injections of sheep erythrocytes, even if given with allogeneic thymus cells from the same or a different strain. However, they can respond to a different antigen or to the original antigen if given with congenic thymus cells. B cells from such animals are able to respond if transferred together with congenic thymocytes to irradiated hosts. It is suggested that allogeneic T cells are able to cooperate with B cells to initiate an immune response but that a further step is necessary to maintain the response, and for this congenic T cells are necessary.