Characterization of Interleukin-15-Transpresenting Dendritic Cells for Clinical Use

Figure 4

Stimulation of WT1-specific CD8⁺ T-cells by IL-15 designer DC. A WT1_126–134-specific HLA-A0201-restricted CD8⁺ T-cell clone was stimulated with mock EP DC, IL-15 EP DC, or IL-15/IL-15Rα EP DC from HLA-A0201⁺ () or HLA-A0201⁻ donors () or with control T2 cells at a 10 : 1 TCC/stimulator cell ratio or left unstimulated (TCC only). To assess antigen specificity, stimulator cells were either peptide pulsed (black bars) or left unloaded (grey bars). After overnight coculture, cell-free supernatants were harvested and analyzed for IFN-γ using ELISA (mean ± SEM). ; ; , repeated measures one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test. DC, dendritic cells; HLA, human leukocyte antigen; IFN, interferon; IL, interleukin; IL-15Rα, interleukin-15 receptor alpha; ns, not significant; SEM, standard error of the mean; TCC, T-cell clone.