Patent ID: 6872518

Claim:
A method for selecting a nucleic acid molecule encoding a target epitope of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, comprising: (a) contacting mammalian host cells with cytotoxic T-lymphocytes specific for said target epitope under conditions wherein a host cell expressing said target epitope undergoes a lytic event upon contact with said T-lymphocytes; wherein said host cells comprise a library of heterologous nucleic acid molecules, at least one of said heterologous nucleic acid molecules encoding said target epitope, wherein said library is constructed in a vaccinia virus vector which expresses said target epitope in said host cells, wherein said host cells express a defined MHC molecule, and wherein said cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are restricted for said MHC molecule; (b) recovering the floating host cells which are undergoing a lytic event, and (c) isolating said vector from said recovered host cells, thereby selecting a nucleic acid molecule which encodes said target epitope.