Immune response of athymic nude mice to papovavirus SV40 tumor-associated antigens.

The requirement of T cell functions in the induction of immune response to SV40-specific transplantation rejection antigen and intranuclear tumor antigen was studied using athymic nude mice. The results obtained indicate that virus-immunized athymic nude mice were unable to reject SV40 tumor cell challenge, and sensitized lymphocytes capable of inhibiting tumor growth in vivo could not be demonstrated in the spleens of virus-immunized mice. Athymic nude mice bearing tumor induced by virus-free SV40-transformed BALB/c cells failed to develop antibodies to intranuclear T antigen. Athymic nude mice also failed to respond to viral antigens. Thus it can be concluded that T cell functions are required in the induction of cellular immune response to SV40-specific transplantation rejection antigen and in humoral immune response to SV40-specific T antigen and virion antigen.