COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF MONOCLONAL AND POLYCLONAL ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FOR T CELL SUBPOPULATIONS

1 . A purified antibody, or fragment or derivative thereof, that preferentially binds a T cell antigen receptor (TCR), wherein said antibody:

(a) preferentially binds a CDR3-loop or an α-β junction of said TCR; or

(b) preferentially binds or modulates the expansion or activation of at least one T cell subpopulation selected from the group of NK T cells, CD1d-reactive T cells, and JαQ + T cells.

2 . The purified antibody, fragment, or derivative of claim 1 that preferentially binds and preferentially expands an invariant T cell.

3 . A method of treating an autoimmune disease, viral infection, bacterial infection, parasitic infection, infection by a eukaryotic pathogen, graft versus host disease, graft rejection, immunodeficiency disease, spontaneous abortion, or pregnancy in a mammal, said method comprising administering to said mammal an antibody, fragment, or derivative of claim 1 .

4 . A method of treating an allergy, asthma, or an inflammatory condition in a mammal, said method comprising administering to said mammal an antibody, fragment, or derivative of claim 1 , wherein said antibody, fragment, or derivative inhibits expansion or activation of at least one of said T cell subpopulations.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said antibody, fragment, or derivative is covalently linked to a toxin or a radiolabel.

6 . A method of treating cancer or type I diabetes in a mammal, said method comprising administering to said mammal an antibody, fragment, or derivative of claim 1 , wherein said antibody expands or activates at least one of said T cell subpopulations.

7 . A method of inhibiting T cell pathogenesis in a mammal, said method comprising administering to said mammal an antibody, fragment, or derivative of claim 1 .

8 . A method of producing a purified population of invariant T cells from a sample containing T cells, said method comprising:

(a) contacting said population with an antibody, fragment, or derivative of claim 1 ; and

(b) separating the cells bound to said antibody, fragment, or derivative from said population.

9 . A purified T cell subpopulation produced by the method of claim 8 .

10 . A method of expanding a population of invariant T cells purified by the method of claim 8 , said method comprising:

(a) contacting said cells with an antibody, antigen, cytokine, or mitogen capable of expanding said population; and

(b) optionally administering said expanded population to a mammal.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:

(a) said antibody capable of expanding said population is selected from the ground consisting of an antibody of claim 1 , anti-Vα24, and anti-CD30; or a fragment or derivative thereof;

(b) said antigen is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol antigen from an infectious pathogen, an antigen from a cancerous cell, a self-lipid, or α-galactosylceramide;

(c) said cytokine is IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-18, IFN-α/β, IFN-γ, or GM-CSF; or

(d) said mitogen is phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or PMA/ionomycin.

12 . A method of producing an expanded population of invariant T cells, said method comprising:

(a) contacting a population of T cells containing invariant T cells with an antibody, antigen, cytokine, or mitogen capable of expanding invariant T cells in said population;

(b) contacting said population of step (a) with an antibody of claim 1 ;

(c) separating said cells that bind the antibody of step (b) from said population, thereby producing an expanded population of invariant T cells; and

(d) optionally administering said expanded population to a subject.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein:

(a) said antibody capable of expanding said population is selected from the ground consisting of an antibody of claim 1 , anti-Vα24, and anti-CD3; or a fragment or derivative thereof;

(b) said antigen is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol antigen from an infectious pathogen, an antigen from a cancerous cell, a self-lipid, or α-galactosylceramide;

(c) said cytokine is IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-18, IFN-α/β, IFN-γ, or GM-CSF; or

(d) said mitogen is phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or PMA/ionomycin.

14 . A method of expanding a subpopulation of T cells, said method comprising contacting a sample comprising said T cells with an antibody, fragment, or derivative of claim 1 , wherein said contacting occurs under conditions sufficient to produce an increase in the number of said T cells.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein said method is performed in vivo.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising contacting said sample with an antigen and antigen presenting cells under conditions that allow said contacting to increase the number of said T cells.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said antigen is a lipid or glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol antigen from an infectious pathogen, an antigen from a cancerous cell, or a self-lipid.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising contacting said sample with one or more cytokines.

19 . A method of increasing the size of a subpopulation of T cells in a mammal, said method comprising:

(a) obtaining a sample comprising said T cells from said mammal;

(b) contacting said T cells with an antibody, fragment, or derivative of claim 1 under conditions sufficient to increase the size of said subpopulation; and

(c) administering said contacted T cells to said mammal.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising isolating said T cells prior to said contacting step or after said contacting step.

21 . The method of claim 10 , 12 , or 19 , wherein said method is used in the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disease, viral infection, bacterial infection, parasitic infection, infection by a eukaryotic pathogen, graft versus host disease, graft rejection, immunodeficiency disease, spontaneous abortion, or pregnancy in a mammal.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said autoimmune disease is type I diabetes.