SPECIFIC PROLONGATION OF SKIN-GRAFT SURVIVAL FOLLOWING RETROVIRAL TRANSDUCTION OF BONE-MARROW WITH AN ALLOGENEIC MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX GENE

Engrafted allogeneic hematopoietic cells have a unique capacity to induce a state of donor-specific transplantation tolerance across major histocompatibility complex barriers. This state allows permanent acceptance of donor-type organ grafts, with otherwise normal immunocompetence. We hypothesized that introduction of allogeneic MHC genes into autologous bone marrow which is then returned to recipient mice might similarly induce specific tolerance to products of the introduced MHC genes, without the risk of graft-vs-host disease. We demonstrate here that the introduction of MHC class I K(b) cDNA by retrovirus-mediated gene transfer into B10.AKM (K(k)) hematopoietic cells confers specific hyporesponsiveness to allogeneic skin grafts expressing K(b).