Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 141, 635-646, Copyright © 1975 by Rockefeller University Press
Evidence for specific suppression in the maintenance of immunologic tolerance
DC Benjamin
Specific suppressor cells have been demonstrated in mice tolerant to the
thymus-dependent antigen HGG. Transfer of normal thymocytes, normal spleen
cells, or immune spleen cells into these tolerant mice did not restore
immunocompetence to HGG. Furthermore, the transfer of tolerant spleen cells
into normal recipients abrogated the response of these recipients to
subsequent challenge with immunogenic HGG. Spleen cells removed from mice
5, 8, or 11 wk after the induction of tolerance specifically suppressed the
response of normal spleen cells in an adoptive cell transfer system. The
extent of suppression appears to be dependent upon how long after the
induction of tolerance the cells were removed from the tolerant donors and
how soon after transfer the recipients were challenged.