Inventors:
Samuel S. Strober - Portola Valley CA
Assignee:
The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University - Stanford CA
International Classification:
C12N 508
Abstract:
Natural suppressor (NS) cells secrete a soluble protein suppressor factor (SF) which suppresses the mixed lymphocyte response. NS cells as described herein are null, i. e. , have the phenotype IL-2R. sup. +, CD3. sup. -, CD4. sup. -, CD8. sup. -, TCR. alpha. beta. sup. -, Ig. sup. -, MAC-1. sup. -, or are double negative suppressors (DNS); i. e. , have the phenotype IL-2R. sup. +, CD3. sup. +, CD4. sup. -, CD8. sup. -, TCR. alpha. beta. sup. +. Both NS and SF are useful in vivo to confer immunotolerance with respect to allogeneic transplants, and to effect immunosuppression. They also enhance engraftment of transplanted cells. A population of cells can be provided using density gradient separation techniques which is enriched in progenitor cells as identified by the presence of CD34 surface markers.