Investigators at UCLA's School of Medicine have previously shown that normal human T cells, like fibroblasts, have a limited proliferative potential. The senescent T cells nevertheless function normally in antigen recognition and cytotoxicity. These investigators have now identified a biological marker that identifies T cells that appear normal by standard surface staining analyses, but that are incapable of proliferating. The marker is a known molecule detectable with a commercially available monoclonal antibody using flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The assay, which has been tested in the elderly, may be clinically important to identify those individuals in a seemingly homogeneous group that are most likely to be at risk immunologically. This subset may be targeted for prophylaxis, immunomodulation, or more intensive study. The assay also may be a novel diagnostic tool in other clinical situations of T cell immunodeficiency involving proliferative hyporesponsiveness, such as AIDS.

Reference: UCLA Case No. 1994-516

US Patent Number: 5,744,317