Patent ID: 7575870
Filing Date: 2009-08-18
Classification: A61K,C07K,G01N,Y02A

Abstract:
1. A method for quantitating ex vivo a population of peptide-specific immediate effector T cells present in vivo in a subject, which method comprises: (a) providing a sample from said subject containing T cells, which have not been cultured in vitro for a period of time sufficient to effect differentiation of precursor effector T cells to immediate effector T cells, (b) contacting said T cells with a surface carrying an immobilized antibody to interferon-γ, (c) presenting to said T cells an activating amount of said peptide in the absence of any antigen presenting cells pre-cultured with said peptide, (d) incubating said T cells under conditions to permit release of said interferon-γ but where the incubation time is not sufficient to effect differentiation of precursor effector T cells to immediate effector T cells, and (e) detecting said interferon-γ released in response to said peptide and bound to said immobilized antibody.