Methods and compositions for detecting immune responses

1. A method for detecting an antigen-specific hematopoietic cell in a biological sample, which method comprises:

(a) providing a biological sample comprising a hematopoietic cell of a first species;

(b) providing a target cell of a second species, wherein the second species is different from the first species, wherein the second species is a macaque species, wherein the target cell comprises an antigen and wherein previous determination of the target cell MHC genotype is not required;

(c) contacting the target cell with the biological sample; and

(d) detecting an immune activation marker in the sample in an MHC-non-restricted manner,

wherein an increase in expression of the immune activation marker in the sample, relative to a control, is an indication that the sample comprises an antigen-specific hematopoietic cell;

wherein a cell identical to the target cell but lacking the antigen does not stimulate expression of the immune activation marker in hematopoietic cells of the first species, and

wherein the immune activation marker is selected from the group consisting of B7.1, B7.2, CD 152 (CTLA-4), CD28, CD40, CD40 ligand (CD40L), and CD69.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antigen is a tumor-associated antigen (TAA) or a microbial antigen.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the antigen is a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or a mucin-1 (MUC-1).

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the antigen is a viral antigen or a bacterial antigen.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biological sample comprises peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target cell is infected with a virus that encodes the antigen.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the virus is a DNA virus or a poxvirus.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the virus encodes B7.1, LFA-3, and ICAM-1.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target cell is transfected with a nucleic acid that encodes the antigen.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample and the target cell are incubated together at step (c) for at least 24 hours.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample and the target cell are incubated together at step (c) for a period of time that is less than 7 days.

12. A method for detecting an antigen-specific hematopoietic cell in a biological sample, which method comprises:

(a) providing a biological sample comprising a hematopoietic cell of a first species;

(b) providing a target cell of a second species, wherein the second species is different from the first species, wherein the second species is a macaque species, wherein the target cell comprises an antigen and wherein previous determination of the target cell MHC genotype is not required;

(c) contacting the target cell with the biological sample; and

(d) detecting an immune activation marker or activity in the sample in an MHC-non-restricted manner,

wherein an increase in expression of the immune activation marker or activity in the sample, relative to a control, is an indication that the sample comprises an antigen-specific hematopoietic cell;

wherein a cell identical to the target cell but lacking the antigen does not stimulate expression of the immune activation marker or activity in hematopoietic cells of the first species,

wherein the target cell is infected with a virus that encodes the antigen, and

wherein the virus further encodes one or more costimulatory molecules of the first species.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the costimulatory molecules comprise one or more of the group consisting of B7.1, LFA-3, and ICAM-1.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the antigen is a tumor-associated antigen (TAA), a viral antigen, or a bacterial antigen.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the antigen is a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or a mucin-1 (MUC-1).

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the biological sample comprises peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the virus is a DNA virus or a poxvirus.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sample and the target cell are incubated together at step (c) for at least 24 hours.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sample and the target cell are incubated together at step (c) for a period of time that is less than 7 days.

20. A method for detecting an antigen-specific hematopoietic cell in a biological sample, which method comprises:

(a) providing a biological sample comprising a hematopoietic cell of a first species;

(b) providing a target cell of a second species, wherein the second species is different from the first species, wherein the second species is a macaque species, wherein the target cell comprises an antigen and wherein previous determination of the target cell MHC genotype is not required;

(c) contacting the target cell with the biological sample in an MHC-non-restricted manner; and

(d) detecting an immune activation marker or activity in the sample,

wherein an increase in expression of the immune activation marker or activity in the sample, relative to a control, is an indication that the sample comprises an antigen-specific hematopoietic cell;

wherein a cell identical to the target cell but lacking the antigen does not stimulate expression of the immune activation marker or activity in hematopoietic cells of the first species, and

wherein the target cell is a cell of cell line CMMT 110/C1.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the antigen is a tumor-associated antigen (TAA), a viral antigen, or a bacterial antigen.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the antigen is a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or a mucin-1 (MUC-1).

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the biological sample comprises peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the target cell is infected with a virus that encodes the antigen.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the virus is a DNA virus or a poxvirus.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the virus encodes B7.1, LFA-3, and ICAM-1.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the target cell is transfected with a nucleic acid that encodes the antigen.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the sample and the target cell are incubated together at step (c) for at least 24 hours.

29. The method of claim 20 , wherein the sample and the target cell are incubated together at step (c) for a period of time that is less than 7 days.