Ex vivo perfusion of intestinal allografts with anti-T cell monoclonal antibody/ricin a chain conjugates for the suppression of graft-versus-host disease

The removal of T lymphocytes from intestinal allografts prior to tranaplantation would prevent graft-versus-host disease and might also weaken the unusually severe rejection response mounted by graft recipients. Ex vivo perfusion by monoclonal antibody-torin conjugates represents a potentially ideal approach to achieve this goal. Monoclonal antibody-torin conjugates were prepared by coupling the mouse anti rat CD5 antibody MRC OX19 to the A chain of ricin. The resultant conjugate contained 1 or 2 ricin A chain molecules per molecule of immunoglobulin and had high selective toxicity for rat T lymphocytes