Anti-TCR V beta-specific DNA vaccination prolongs heart allograft survivalin adult rats

Allospecific T cells are known to play a central role in the process of all ograft rejection. Recently, it has been shown that T cell function could be specifically targeted using DNA vaccination. In our model, PCR analysis of the TCR-beta chain repertoire of T cells infiltrating rejected allografts showed specific expansions of the V beta 13 and V beta 2 families. In this study, we tested the effect on allograft survival of DNA vaccination agains t a specific TCR V beta, in a model of heart allograft rejection in adult r ats. Our results showed that anti-TCR V beta 13 DNA vaccination lead to a s ignificant prolongation of allograft survival compared to vaccination again st other V beta families or untreated recipients. The prolongation of allog raft survival correlated in vitro with a decrease in anti-donor reactivity of spleen cells from V beta 13-vaccinated rats. These results show that, in a transplantation model, DNA vaccination could be used as a method to spec ifically manipulate a T cell response and thus prolong allograft survival.