System and methods for promoting expansion of polyclonal and antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in response to artificial antigen presenting cells

A method for inducing a population of T cells to rapidly proliferate exponentially for a long term to sufficient numbers for research purposes, comprising:

• a) activating the population of T cells by contacting the T cells ex vivo with at least one exogenous first agent that provides a primary activation signal to the T cells;
• and
• b) stimulating the activated T cells with at least one second agent that provides a co-stimulatory signal, such that T cells that have received a primary activation signal are stimulated to rapidly proliferate.

A method for stimulating a population of CD8+ T cells to rapidly proliferate exponentially for a long term, comprising:

• a) primarily activating the population of CD8+ T cells by contacting the CD8+ T cells ex vivo with at least one exogenous first agent which stimulates a T cell receptor/CD3 complex-associated signal in the T cells;
• and
• b) stimulating the activated T cells with at least one second agent which is a ligand providing a co-stimulatory signal, such that T cells that have received the primary activation signal are stimulated to rapidly proliferate.