The use of transformed T cell lines for clonal expansion of human B cells from peripheral blood, spleen, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

Human transformed T cell lines were able to induce polyclonal B cell activation and immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, spleen cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Cells from one of the lines tested, MOT, did not require any exogenous stimuli to induce maximal responses and under similar conditions induced higher levels of response than peripheral blood T cells or other T cell lines. MOT-induced B cell activation and Ig secretion required cell contact and factors present in the MOT culture supernatant. MOT cells induced B cell responses from TIL in the three tumors tested (melanoma, ovarian and colon cancer) and HIV-specific immunoglobulin secretion by spleen cells from an HIV+ patient.