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Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, Vol s3-89, 239-252, Copyright © 1948 by Company of Biologists

Tests by Tissue Culture Methods on the Nature of Immunity Transplanted Skin

P. B. MEDAWAR 1

1 Department of Zoology, University of Birmingham

The transplantation of skin from one rabbit to another elicits a reaction that conforms in main outline with that of an actively acquired immunity. The experiments described in this paper were designed to test the hypothesis that the regression of such grafts is secured by the action of antibodies demonstrable in vitro.

Skin from adult rabbits has therefore been cultivated in the presence of serum and growing mesenchymal tissues derived solely from rabbits heavily and specifically immunized against it.

Immune sera and tissues are without effect on the survival, cell-division frequency and migratory activities of explanted skin, and agglutinins for epidermal cell suspensions are not demonstrable in immune sera.

With certain stated qualifications, it has therefore been concluded that the occurrence of free antibodies is not a sufficient explanation of the regression of skin homografts in vivo.






© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1948