Figure 1. K5mOVA skin graft rejection is CD8⁺ T cell dependent and is enhanced by local TLR7 ligation.

Kaplan-Meier survival curves of membrane-bound ovalbumin-expressing skin grafts (K5mOVA). A. C57BL/6, Rag1^−/− mice and C57BL/6 mice treated with anti-CD8β monoclonal antibody were grafted with K5mOVA expressing skin and grafts monitored for rejection. n=8, ***p<0.001 by log rank test. B. Rag1^−/− mice bearing K5mOVA skin grafts received an intravenous transfer of 10⁶ SIINFEKL-specific Rag.OT-I splenocytes or SIYRYYGL-specific Rag.2C splenocytes. Grafts were then monitored for rejection. n=7, **p<0.01 by log rank test. C. C57BL/6 mice were depleted of CD8β⁺ T cells by treatment with the monoclonal antibody 53–5.8 and grafted with two K5mOVA skin grafts. 10 weeks later, animals received a third, contralateral graft, and one of the two original grafts were treated for 10 days with imiquimod whilst the other received control cream. n=7, ***p<0.001 by log rank test. D–F. Rag1^−/− mice bearing bilateral, well-healed K5mOVA skin graft were adoptively transferred with 10⁷ (D), 10⁶ (E), or 10⁵ (F) naïve Rag.OT-I splenocytes. At the same time all animals received subcutaneous immunisation with the adjuvant OVA in Quil A, whilst one of the two grafts was treated with imiquimod and the other with the control cream. n=8 for all groups, *, p < 0.05, **p<0.01 by log rank test.