Adoptive transfer of type 1 diabetes to NOD-SCID recipients by diabetogenic CD4⁺ T-cells (inducer cells) can be prevented by B- but not T-cells (test cells) from donors immunized with scFvs if the specificity of the scFv and the inducer cell are matched.

Test cells were obtained from NOD mice immunized with the indicated scFvs at 4 and 7 weeks of age (experiment A and C) or at 8 and 11 weeks of age (experiment B). NtfrRII specific inducer cells were either obtained by depletion of B and CD8+ T-cells (A and C) or by negative isolation of CD4+ T-cells from NtfrRII-immunized mice (B). BDC2.5 inducer cells were obtained by negative isolation of CD4+ T-cells (B) or were non-separated spleen cells of BDC2.5 TCR tg mice (C). All mice in experimental groups with diabetes induced by NtfrRII specific T-cells had developed the disease by 82 days post transfer. Mice in groups free of diabetes were observed to 200 days post transfer. All mice in experimental groups with diabetes induced by BDC2.5 T-cells had developed the disease by 37 days post transfer. Mice in groups free of diabetes were observed to 100 days post transfer. B-cells were necessary to mediate prevention of disease and, for prevention to occur in this model, the specificity of the inducer cells has to match the specificity of the scFv used to vaccinate test cell donors.