TRANSFER OF MYELOMA IDIOTYPE-SPECIFIC IMMUNITY FROM AN ACTIVELY IMMUNIZED MARROW DONOR

The idiotype of myeloma immunoglobulin can be used as a unique tumour- specific antigen. We tested the hypothesis that tumour antigen-specifi c immunity can be transferred from bone-marrow-transplant donor to rec ipient. We immunised a healthy sibling donor with myeloma immunoglobul in from the plasma of the recipient, conjugated to an immunogenic carr ier protein and emulsified in an adjuvant, before marrow transplantati on. Detection of a lymphoproliferative response, a parallel response i n the carrier protein, recovery of a recipient CD4+ T-cell line with u nique specificity for myeloma idiotype, and demonstration by in-situ h ybridisation that the cell line was of donor origin, proved that a mye loma idiotype-specific T-cell response was successfully transferred to the recipient. Donor immunisation with myeloma idiotype may represent a new strategy for enhancing the specific antitumour effect of alloge neic marrow grafts.