Figure 1: Adoptive transfer of in vitro, peptide-activated BDC cells can be prevented by co-culture with CTLA4Ig and anti-CD154. Lymphocytes were harvested from BDC2.5.NOD mice and cultured for 4 days in the absence or presence of stimulatory peptide with or without CTLA4Ig and/or anti-CD154. 2.5 x 106 cells were then transferred intravenously to nod.scid recipients that were followed for diabetes. Cx only = cells cultured alone without peptide, CTLA4Ig or anti-CD154. CoB = the combination of costimulation blockade agents, CTLA4Ig and anti-CD154. p < 0.001 when comparing diabetes rates at 7 weeks in peptide only, peptide+CTAL4Ig, and peptide=CoB groups using exact contingency table analysis. In post-hoc Fisher exact test analysis, p < 0.001 (*) and p = 0.026 (†) comparing diabetes rates in peptide only group to peptide+cCoB or peptide+CTAL4Ig groups respectively.