Characterization of baboon class I major histocompatibility molecules. Implications for baboon-to-human xenotransplantation.

Increasingly strong medical and political pressures are stimulating consideration of the transplantation of baboon organs and cells into humans. Critical to the success of these xenotransplants is management of the immune system such that graft rejection and, in the case of bone marrow transplantation, graft-versus-host disease do not result in transplant failure. The polymorphic products of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are the primary barrier to successful allotransplantation, and here we describe class I MHC molecules from baboon (Papio anubis) to gain an understanding of how similarities and differences between baboon and human MHC molecules might affect xenograft survival and function. Comparative analyses of our five novel baboon class I molecules with defined HLA class I molecules demonstrate that the baboon class I molecule are up to 90% identical. Disparity between baboon class I proteins and their human homologues lies predominately at positions in the antigen-binding groove, while C-terminal portions of the class I heavy chain are more conserved between the two species. Such concentration of cross-species differences within the alpha1 and alpha2 domains involves a majority of substitutions at positions demonstrating polymorphism in human alleles; the location of substitutions distinguishing baboon and human molecules thus resembles the positioning of human class I allopolymorphisms. Because this preliminary characterization indicates that both baboon and human T cells with be restricted by xenogeneic class I molecules, immune responses triggered during baboon-to-human transplantation should mimic those arising during MHC mismatched human allotransplantation.