Patent ID: 6338945
Filing Date: 2002-01-15
Classification: C40B,G01N

Abstract:
A method for identifying a saturating profile of cytotoxic T cell epitopes comprising the steps in order of:a) contacting a population of cytotoxic T cells having the same MHC-haplotype restriction with a quantity of oligopeptide released from a solid phase support, wherein said solid phase support is present in: i) a library of oligopeptides, which oligopeptides are attached to a plurality of solid phase supports by a releasable linker, each of said solid phase supports comprising a plurality of identical copies of a single species of oligopeptide and said releasable linker, which library of oligopeptides contains a structural motif corresponding to an agretope of the MHC-haplotype to which said cytotoxic T cells are restricted; wherein said quantity of released oligopeptide consists of an amount less than the plurality of said single species of oligopeptide attached to said solid support; and ii) antigen presentation means, which antigen presentation means correspond to the MHC-haplotype to which the cytotoxic T cells are restricted; b) detecting cytotoxic T cell activation effected by the formation of a complex of a cytotoxic T cell, a single specie of released oligopeptide, and said antigen presentation means, wherein said detecting enumerates each specie of oligopeptide that elicits said cytotoxic T cell activation, thereby identifying a saturating profile of cytotoxic T cell epitopes.