Immunology Research Center and the Departments of Medical Genetics. Surgery. Pediatrics and Human Oncology. University of Wisconsin. Madison. Wisconsin 53706. USA

* This work is supported in part by NIH grants CA-16836. AI-11576. AI-08439. CA-20409 and CA-14520. and National Foundation March of Dimes £rants CRBS 246 and 6- 76-213. This is paper no.164 from the Immunobiology Research Center and paper no.2270 from the Laboratory of Genetics. The University of Wisconsin. Madison. Wisconsin 53706.

A major goal in our understanding of leukemia involves the study of cell surface antigens on the leukemic cells that are not present on patients' normal cells of the same type. These antigens. if they serve as tumor rejection type antigens. are commonly referred to as tumor associated transplantation antigens. One approach to the study of these antigens, which is also of potential interest with regard to cellular immunotherapy of leukemia, involves attempts to generate cytotoxic cells against autologous leukemia cells. The approaches that we have used have largely been based on earlier and concurrent studies involving recognition and response to alloantigens in the mixed leukocyte culture (MLC) and cell mediated Iympholysis (CML) assays. Two general approaches have been used, both of which are presented in this paper. In each case the background studies of the allogeneic system are given as a reference.

Summary

We have presented the rationale for the in vitro approaches that we have taken for generating cytotoxic lymphocytes capable of lysing autologous leukemia cells or leukemia cells from HLA identical siblings. Two different approaches have been used, both of which are based on earlier findings concerning the antigenic and cellular interactions involved in the generation of strong cytotoxic responses to alloantigens in mixed leukocyte culture.