An immune-based tool platform for in vivo cell clearance

Immunological targeting of pathological cells has been successful in oncology and is expanding to other pathobiological contexts. Here, we present a flexible platform that allows labeling cells of interest with the surface-expressed model antigen ovalbumin (OVA), which can be eliminated via either antigen-specific T cells or newly developed OVA antibodies. We demonstrate that hepatocytes can be effectively targeted by either modality. In contrast, pro-fibrotic fibroblasts associated with pulmonary fibrosis are only eliminated by T cells in initial experiments, which reduced collagen deposition in a fibrosis model. This new experimental platform will facilitate development of immunebased approaches to clear potential pathological cell types in vivo.

Automated summary

Immunological targeting of pathological cells has shown success in oncology and is expanding to other pathobiological contexts. A flexible platform has been presented that allows labeling cells of interest with a model antigen, ovalbumin (OVA), and can be eliminated by antigen-specific T cells or newly developed OVA antibodies. This platform facilitates the development of immune-based approaches to clear potential pathological cell types in vivo.