Patent ID: 7659058
Filing Date: 2010-02-09
Classification: C07K,C12N,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for the detection of a T-cell specific for a selected epitope comprising the following steps: a) isolating antigen presenting cell (APC)-containing and CD4+ T-cell-containing body fluids, said APC being selected from the group consisting of a dendritic cell, a monocyte, a macrophage and a B-cell, b) transducing the APC-containing body fluid with a gene transfer vector comprising (i) a first promoter which is specifically inducible in antigen presenting cells by epitope-specific contact with said CD4+ T-cell, (ii) a nucleic acid encoding a marker gene functionally linked to said first promoter, (iii) a second promoter which is constitutive in antigen presenting cells and (iv) a nucleic acid encoding the selected CD4+ T-cell epitope which is functionally linked to said second promoter, wherein said first inducible promoter is selected from the group consisting of a OX40L promoter, a 4.1BBL(V1) promoter, a 4.1BBL(V2) promoter, a 4.1BBL(V3) promoter and a 4.1BBL(V4) promoter, c) incubating the body fluid containing the transduced APC with the body fluid containing the CD4+ T-cell; and d) detecting marker-expressing APC, wherein the presence of a marker-expressing APC indicates the presence of said T-cell specific for said selected epitope.