Patent ID: 7479269

Claim:
A method for selectively expanding a population of TH1 cells from a population of CD4 + T cells in vitro to sufficient numbers for use in therapy, comprising: a) contacting a population of CD4 + T cells with: (1) an agent which provides a primary activation signal to the CD4 + T cells thereby activating the CD4 + T cells, wherein the agent is selected from the group consisting of an anti-CD3 antibody or a CD3-binding fragment thereof, an anti-CD2 antibody or a CD2-binding fragment thereof, and an antigen in a form suitable to trigger a primary activation signal in the CD4 + T cell when complexed with the TCR/CD3 complex; and (2) an anti-CD28 antibody or a CD28-binding fragment thereof, thereby stimulating the activated CD4 + T cells, such that the CD4 + T cells are stimulated to proliferate and produce at least one TH1 cytokine selected from the group consisting of IL-2 and IFN-γ, the agent which provides a primary activation signal and the anti-CD28 antibody or CD28-binding fragment thereof being attached to the same surface, wherein an increase in the amount of the at least one TH1 cytokine following activation and stimulation of the CD4 + T cells compared to the amount of the at least one TH1 cytokine produced by CD4 + T cells that have not been activated as in (1) and stimulated in (2), indicates selective expansion of the TH1 cells.