Immunization to a syngeneic sarcoma by a monoclonal auto-anti-idiotypic antibody

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Abstract
Idiotypic networks regulate the immune response to a variety of antigens1–3. Antibodies generated against other antibodies, called anti-idiotypic antibodies, can themselves mimic antigen and elicit a specific immune response. They have been shown to induce delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to model antigens in the mouse4–7. As anti-idiotypic antibodies are thought to be involved in the response to tumour-associated antigens8–10 we tested whether injection of monoclonal antibodies derived from mice hyperimmunized to a syngeneic, chemically induced sarcoma could mimic antigen and induce DTH to the sarcoma in naive mice. One of the monoclonal antibodies, 4.72, primed BALB/c mice for DTH to the sarcoma but not for DTH to another sarcoma or to sheep erythrocytes. Antibody 4.72 did not induce DTH in mice of immunoglobulin allotype congeheic strains nor did it bind to the sarcoma cells. As antibodies specific for this sarcoma have not been detected, we do not know whether idiotype on immunoglobulin molecules is recognized by antibody 4.72. However, as the response induced by anti body 4.72 was both antigen-specific and allotype-restricted, analogous to those induced by anti-idiotypic antibodies in other systems4,11, we propose that antibody 4.72 is an anti-idiotypic antibody.

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