An HLA-A2.1-transgenic rabbit model to study immunity to papillomavirus infection. Journal   Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) Citation   J Immunol. 177(11):8037-45 Publication date   2006 Dec 1 Authors   Hu J Peng X Schell TD Budgeon LR Cladel NM Christensen ND Investigators   Neil D. Christensen Jianming Hu Xuwen Peng Todd Schell Grant agencies   National Cancer Institute Grants   NCI R01 CA 47622 MeSH headings   Animals, Genetically Modified CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes HLA-A2 Antigen Host-Parasite Interactions Papillomavirus Infections Rabbits MeSH qualifiers   immunology genetics Abstract   We have established several HLA-A2.1-transgenic rabbit lines to provide a host to study CD8(+) T cell responses during virus infections. HLA-A2.1 protein expression was detected on cell surfaces within various organ tissues. Continuous cultured cells from these transgenic rabbits were capable of presenting both endogenous and exogenous HLA-A2.1-restricted epitopes to an HLA-A2.1-restricted epitope-specific CTL clone. A DNA vaccine containing an HLA-A2.1-restricted human papillomavirus type 16 E7 epitope (amino acid residues 82-90) stimulated epitope-specific CTLs in both PBLs and spleen cells of transgenic rabbits. In addition, vaccinated transgenic rabbits were protected against infection with a mutant cottontail rabbit papillomavirus DNA containing an embedded human papillomavirus type 16 E7/82-90 epitope. Complete protection was achieved using a multivalent epitope DNA vaccine based on epitope selection from cottontail rabbit papillomavirus E1 using MHC class I epitope prediction software. HLA-A2.1-transgenic rabbits will be an important preclinical animal model system to study virus-host interactions and to assess specific targets for immunotherapy.