Hodgkin's lymphoma patients fail to establish an efficient cellular response against CD30⁺ Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg cells. An impaired T-cell receptor/CD3-ζ-mediated activation of T cells is thought to be involved in this situation. We here present a chimeric anti-CD30 receptor that mediates MHC and T-cell receptor/CD3-ζ-independent T-cell activation against CD30⁺ lymphoma cells even in the presence of soluble CD30. The receptor consists of the binding domain of the monoclonal antibody HRS3 and the signaling unit of the FcεRI-receptor γ-chain. After expression in MD45 T cells, receptor cross-linking with immobilized anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody and CD30⁺ cells, respectively, results in increased interleukin 2 secretion and specific cytolysis of CD30⁺ Hodgkin's lymphoma cells. Soluble CD30 in concentrations up to 6000 units/ml did not interfere with cellular activation induced by membrane-bound antigen. This demonstrates the feasibility of the chimeric anti-CD30-scFv-γ receptor in CD30⁺ lymphoma cell targeting, even in the presence of as high concentrations of soluble CD30 as are found in patients during progression of the disease.