Natural killer (NK) T cells are a lymphocyte subset with a distinct surface phenotype, an invariant T cell receptor (TCR), and reactivity to CD1. Here we show that mouse NK T cells can recognize human CD1d as well as mouse CD1, and human NK T cells also recognize both CD1 homologues. The unprecedented degree of conservation of this T cell recognition system suggests that it is fundamentally important. Mouse or human CD1 molecules can present the glycolipid α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) to NK T cells from either species. Human T cells, preselected for invariant Vα24 TCR expression, uniformly recognize α-GalCer presented by either human CD1d or mouse CD1. In addition, culture of human peripheral blood cells with α-GalCer led to the dramatic expansion of NK T cells with an invariant (Vα24+) TCR and the release of large amounts of cytokines. Because invariant Vα14+ and Vα24+ NK T cells have been implicated both in the control of autoimmune disease and the response to tumors, our data suggest that α-GalCer could be a useful agent for modulating human immune responses by activation of the highly conserved NK T cell subset.

Although many T cells carry two in-frame V alpha rearrangements, the products of both V alpha rearrangements have never been shown simultaneously on the surface of normal cells. With the use of monoclonal antibodies to V alpha 2, V alpha 12, and V alpha 24, up to one-third of mature T cells expressed two V alpha chains as part of two functional and independent T cell receptors (TCRs). Thus, the "one cell, one receptor" rule does not apply to a large subset of alpha beta T cells. Cells that belong to this dual TCR subset may be specific for a broader range of antigens than cells with a single receptor, which may be important for autoimmunity and alloreactivity.

The transfer of high-avidity T-cell receptor (TCR) genes isolated from rare tumor-specific lymphocytes into polyclonal T cells is an attractive cancer immunotherapy strategy. However, TCR gene transfer results in competition for surface expression and inappropriate pairing between the exogenous and endogenous TCR chains, resulting in suboptimal activity and potentially harmful unpredicted specificities. We designed zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) promoting the disruption of endogenous TCR β and α chain genes. ZFN-treated lymphocytes lacked CD3/TCR surface expression and expanded with IL-7 and IL-15. Upon lentiviral transfer of a TCR for the WT1 tumor antigen, these TCR-edited cells expressed the new TCR at high levels, were easily expanded to near-purity, and proved superior in specific antigen recognition to matched TCR-transferred cells. In contrast to TCR-transferred cells, TCR edited lymphocytes did not mediate off-target reactivity while maintaining anti-tumor activity in vivo, thus demonstrating that complete editing of T-cell specificity generate tumor-specific lymphocytes with improved biosafety profile.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency results in severe combined immunodeficiency, the first genetic disorder treated by gene therapy. Two different retroviral vectors were used to transfer ex vivo the human ADA minigene into bone marrow cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes from two patients undergoing exogenous enzyme replacement therapy. After 2 years of treatment, long-term survival of T and B lymphocytes, marrow cells, and granulocytes expressing the transferred ADA gene was demonstrated and resulted in normalization of the immune repertoire and restoration of cellular and humoral immunity. After discontinuation of treatment, T lymphocytes, derived from transduced peripheral blood lymphocytes, were progressively replaced by marrow-derived T cells in both patients. These results indicate successful gene transfer into long-lasting progenitor cells, producing a functional multilineage progeny.

SummaryThe T cell receptor (TCR)-c~//~ CD4-8-(double negative, DN) T cell subset is characterized by an oligoclonal repertoire and a restricted V gene usage. By immunizing mice with a DN T cell clone we generated two monodonal antibodies (mAbs) against Vol24 and V311, which have been reported to be preferentially expressed in DN T cells. Using these antibodies, we could investigate the expression and pairing of these Vc~ and V~ gene products among different T cell subsets. Vo~24 is rarely expressed among CD4 + and especially CD8 + T cells. In these cases it is rearranged to different Jcx segments, carries N nucleotides, and pairs with different V3. Remarkably, Voe24 is frequently expressed among DN T cells and is always present as an invariant rearrangement with JolQ, without N region diversity. This invariant Vc~24 chain is always paired to V311. This unique Ve~24-Jc~Q/V311 TCR was found in expanded DN clones from all the individuals tested. These findings suggest that the frequent occurrence of cells carrying this invariant TCR. is due to peripheral expansion of rare clones after recognition of a nonpolymorphic ligand.

Invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells are a highly conserved subset of T lymphocytes expressing a semi-invariant T cell receptor (TCR), which is restricted to CD1d and specific for the glycosphingolipid antigen α-galactosylceramide. Their ability to secrete a variety of cytokines, which in turn modulate the activation of cells of both innate and acquired immune responses, suggests that invariant NKT cells exert a regulatory role mainly via indirect mechanisms. A relevant question is whether invariant NKT cells can directly help B cells. We document here that human invariant NKT cells are as efficient as conventional CD4+ Th0 lymphocytes in promoting proliferation of autologous memory and naive B lymphocytes in vitro, and in inducing immunoglobulin production. Help to B cells by invariant NKT cells is CD1d-dependent and delivered also in the absence of α-galactosylceramide, suggesting that NKT cells recognize an endogenous ligand presented by CD1d on B cells. The two major subsets of invariant NKT cells, CD4+ and double negative (CD4−CD8−), express comparable levels of CD40 ligand and cytokines, but differ in helper functions. Indeed, both subsets induce similar levels of B cell proliferation, whereas CD4+ NKT cells induce higher levels of immunoglobulin production. These results suggest a direct role for invariant NKT cells in regulating B lymphocyte proliferation and effector functions.

CD1 molecules present lipid antigens to T cells. An intriguing subset of human T cells recognize CD1-expressing cells without deliberately added lipids. Frequency, subset distribution, clonal composition, naïve-to-memory dynamic transition of these CD1 selfreactive T cells remain largely unknown. By screening libraries of T-cell clones, generated from CD4 1 or CD4 À CD8 À double negative (DN) T cells sorted from the same donors, and by limiting dilution analysis, we find that the frequency of CD1 self-reactive T cells is unexpectedly high in both T-cell subsets, in the range of 1/10-1/300 circulating T cells. These T cells predominantly recognize CD1a and CD1c and express diverse TCRs. Frequency comparisons of T-cell clones from sorted naïve and memory compartments of umbilical cord and adult blood show that CD1 self-reactive T cells are naïve at birth and undergo an age-dependent increase in the memory compartment, suggesting a naïve/ memory adaptive-like population dynamics. CD1 self-reactive clones exhibit mostly Th1 and Th0 functional activities, depending on the subset and on the CD1 isotype restriction. These findings unveil the unanticipated relevance of self-lipid T-cell response in humans and clarify the basic parameters of the lipid-specific T-cell physiology. IntroductionConventional TCR-a/b 1 T lymphocytes recognize peptides presented by MHC molecules and are key players in the adaptive immune response. Thymic selection maximizes the generation of conventional mature T-cell repertoires specific for foreign Ags while minimizing autoreactivity [1]. A key feature of the adaptive immune response is that newly generated conventional T cells are naïve and acquire an effector/memory phenotype upon Ag encounter [2].There exists also an unconventional population of TCR-a/b 1 T lymphocytes that are restricted for CD1 molecules and recognize self-and microbial lipid antigens [3]. CD1 are non-polymorphic MHC class I-like molecules classified into three groups based on the sequence homology: group 1 comprises CD1a, CD1b and CD1c; group 2 CD1d; group 3 CD1e [4]. The best characterized CD1-restricted T cells are the CD1d-restricted invariant Natural Killer à These authors contributed equally to this work. 602Frontline T (iNKT) cells that express, in humans, an invariant Va24-Ja18 TCR paired with Vb11, together with NK-cell receptors [5][6][7]. iNKT cells can be unequivocally identify through their peculiar TCR: they are overly autoreactive, display an innate-like (constitutive) effector/ memory phenotype already at birth [8], unlike conventional T cells, and are divided in two main and functionally distinct CD4 1 and CD4 À CD8 À double negative (DN) subsets [9,10].A second type of CD1-restricted T lymphocytes does not express the invariant TCR and is mainly restricted for group 1 CD1 [3]. Because of the lack of specific markers, this T-cell type has been investigated using sporadically isolated T-cell clones, which provided fundamental hints on the microbial lipids and lipopeptides Ags recognized by these T cells...

The major cause of death after allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is disease relapse. We investigated the expression of Inhibitory Receptors (IR; PD-1/CTLA-4/TIM-3/LAG-3/2B4/KLRG1/GITR) on T cells infiltrating the bone marrow (BM) of 32 AML patients relapsing (median 251 days) or maintaining complete remission (CR; median 1 year) after HSCT. A higher proportion of early-differentiated Memory Stem (TSCM) and Central Memory BM-T cells express multiple IR in relapsing patients than in CR patients. Exhausted BM-T cells at relapse display a restricted TCR repertoire, impaired effector functions and leukemia-reactive specificities. In 57 patients, early detection of severely exhausted (PD-1+Eomes+T-bet−) BM-TSCM predicts relapse. Accordingly, leukemia-specific T cells in patients prone to relapse display exhaustion markers, absent in patients maintaining long-term CR. These results highlight a wide, though reversible, immunological dysfunction in the BM of AML patients relapsing after HSCT and suggest new therapeutic opportunities for the disease.