Antibody Formation by Isolated Spleen Cells transferred to Recipients in Absence of Homotransplantation Reaction

Abstract

IT is generally agreed that the internal environment in new-born animals is not favourable for antibody formation to occur, as has been postulated by Dixon^1,2. It has, however, been demonstrated in our laboratory^3–5 that new-born animals are more suitable recipients for transferred cells producing antibodies—during the period when they are not capable of their own active antibody synthesis⁶—than X-irradiated adult animals. We suppose that the homotransplantation reaction is the main factor limiting antibody formation by cells transferred to young animals⁷. Simonsen⁸ has shown that spleen cells of adult hens are tolerated if transferred to chicken embryos three days before hatching. We assumed, therefore, that by using the chicken embryo as recipient it will be possible to obtain fully developed formation of antibodies to bacterial antigens and also a positive primary response to a protein antigen. According to Dixon's assumption, this should, on the other hand, lead to a further decrease in the intensity of antibody formation in embryos.