In Vivo Depletion of T Lymphocytes

In vivo depletion of T lymphocytes is a means of studying the role of specific T cell populations during defined phases of in vivo immune responses. In this unit, a protocol is provided for injecting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) into wild-type adult mice. Depletion of the appropriate subset of cells is verified by flow cytometry analysis of lymph node and spleen cell suspensions in pilot experiments. Once conditions have been established, depleted mice can be used to study the impact of T cell subsets on a variety of in vivo immune responses. The depleted condition may be maintained by repeated injections of the monoclonal antibody, or reversed by normal thymopoiesis following discontinuation of antibody administration.