Antibodies designed as effective cancer vaccines

Antigen/antibody complexes can efficiently target antigen presenting cells to allow stimulation of the cellular immune response. Due to the difficulty of manufacture and their inherent instability complexes have proved inefficient cancer vaccines. However, anti-idiotypic antibodies mimicking antigens have been shown to stimulate both antibody and T cell responses. The latter are due to T cell mimotopes expressed within the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of antibodies that are efficiently presented to dendritic cells in vivo. Based on this observation we have designed a DNA vaccine platform called ImmunoBodyTM, where cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and helper T cell epitopes replace CDR regions within the framework of a human IgG1 antibody. The ImmunoBodyTM expression system has a number of design features which allow for rapid production of a wide range of vaccines. The CDR regions of the heavy and light chain have been engineered to contain unique restriction endonuclease sites, which can be easily opened, and oligonucleotides encoding the T cell epitopes inserted. The variable and constant regions of the ImmunoBodyTM are also flanked by restriction sites, which permit easy exchange of other IgG subtypes. Here we show a range of T cell epitopes can be inserted into the ImmunoBodyTM vector and upon immunization these T cell epitopes are efficiently processed and presented to stimulate high frequency helper and CTL responses capable of anti-tumor activity.     

Revealing the potential of DNA-based vaccination: lessons learned from the hepatitis B virus surface antigen

DNA-based vaccination is a novel technique to efficiently stimulate humoral (antibody) and cellular (T cell) immune responses to protein antigens. In DNA-based vaccination, immunogenic proteins are expressed in in vivo transfected cells of the vaccine recipients in their native conformation with correct posttranslational modifications from antigen-encoding expression plasmid DNA. This ensures the integrity of antibody-defined epitopes and supports the generation of protective (neutralizing) antibody titers. Plasmid DNA vaccination is furthermore an exceptionally potent strategy to stimulate CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses because antigenic peptides are efficiently generated by endogenous processing of intracellular protein antigens. These key features make DNA-based immunization an attractive strategy for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination against extra- and intracellular pathogens. In this brief review, we summarize the current state of expression vector design, DNA delivery strategies, priming immune responses to intracellular or secreted antigens by DNA vaccines and unique advantages of DNA- versus recombinant protein-based vaccines using the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as a model antigen.     

Differential helper and effector responses of Lyt-2+ T cells to H-2Kb mutant (Kbm) determinants and the appearance of thymic influence on anti-Kbm CTL responsiveness

The goal of this study was to assess and compare the allorecognition requirements for eliciting Lyt-2+ helper and effector functions from primary T cell populations. By using interleukin 2 (IL 2) secretion as a measure of T helper (Th) function, and cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) generation as a measure of effector function, this study compared the responses of Lyt-2+ T cells from wild-type B6 mice against a series of H-2Kb mutant determinants. Although all Kbm determinants stimulated B6 Lyt-2+ T cells to become cytolytic effector cells, the various Kbm determinants differed dramatically in their ability to stimulate Lyt-2+ T cells to function as IL 2-secreting helper cells. For example, in contrast to Kbm1 determinants that stimulated both helper and effector functions, Kbm6 determinants only stimulated B6 Lyt-2+ T cells to become cytolytic and failed to stimulate them to secrete IL 2. The distinct functional responses of Lyt-2+ T cells to Kbm6 determinants was documented by precursor frequency determinations, and was not due to an inability of the Kbm6 molecule to stimulate Lyt-2+ Th cells to secrete IL 2. Rather, it was the specific recognition and response of Lyt-2+ T cells to novel mutant epitopes on the Kbm6 molecule that was defective, such that anti-Kbm6 Lyt-2+ T cells only functioned as CTL effectors and did not function as IL 2-secreting Th cells. The failure of Lyt-2+ anti-Kbm6 T cells to function as IL 2-secreting Th cells was a characteristic of all Lyt-2+ T cell populations examined in which the response to novel mutant epitopes could be distinguished from the response to other epitopes expressed on the Kbm6 molecule. The absence of significant numbers of anti-Kbm6 Th cells in Lyt-2+ T cell populations was examined for its functional consequences on anti-Kbm6 CTL responsiveness. It was found that primary anti-Kbm6 CTL responses could be readily generated in vitro, but unlike responses to most class I alloantigens that can be mediated by Lyt-2+ Th cells, anti-Kbm6 CTL responses were strictly dependent upon self-Ia-restricted L3T4+ Th cells. Because the restriction specificity of L3T4+ Th cells is determined by the thymus, in which their precursors had differentiated, anti-Kbm6 CTL responsiveness, unlike responsiveness to most class I alloantigens, was significantly influenced by the Ia phenotype of the thymus in which the responder cells had differentiated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

The immunogenicity of humanized and fully human antibodies: Residual immunogenicity resides in the CDR regions

Monoclonal antibodies represent an attractive therapeutic tool as they are highly specific for their targets, convey effector functions and enjoy robust manufacturing procedures. Humanization of murine monoclonal antibodies has vastly improved their in vivo tolerability. Humanization, the replacement of mouse constant regions and V framework regions for human sequences, results in a significantly less immunogenic product. However, some humanized and even fully human sequence-derived antibody molecules still carry immunological risk. to more fully understand the immunologic potential of humanized and human antibodies, we analyzed CD4⁺ helper T cell epitopes in a set of eight humanized antibodies. the antibodies studied represented a number of different VH and VL family members carrying unique CDR regions. In spite of these differences, CD4⁺ T cell epitopes were found only in CDR-sequence containing regions. We were able to incorporate up to two amino acid modifications in a single epitope that reduced the immunogenic potential while retaining full biologic function. We propose that immunogenicity will always be present in some antibody molecules due to the nature of the antigen-specific combining sites. A consequence of this result is modifications to reduce immunogenicity will be centered on the affinity-determining regions. Modifications to CDR regions can be designed that reduce the immunogenic potential while maintaining the bioactivity of the antibody molecule.Key words: therapeutic, antibody, immunogenicity, deimmunizing, epitope     

The immunogenicity of humanized and fully human antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies represent an attractive therapeutic tool as they are highly specific for their targets, convey effector functions and enjoy robust manufacturing procedures. Humanization of murine monoclonal antibodies has vastly improved their in vivo tolerability. Humanization, the replacement of mouse constant regions and V framework regions for human sequences, results in a significantly less immunogenic product. However, some humanized and even fully human sequence-derived antibody molecules still carry immunological risk. To more fully understand the immunologic potential of humanized and human antibodies, we analyzed CD4+ helper T cell epitopes in a set of eight humanized antibodies. The antibodies studied represented a number of different VH and VL family members carrying unique CDR regions. In spite of these differences, CD4+ T cell epitopes were found only in CDR-sequence containing regions. We were able to incorporate up to two amino acid modifications in a single epitope that reduced the immunogenic potential while retaining full biologic function. We propose that immunogenicity will always be present in some antibody molecules due to the nature of the antigen-specific combining sites. A consequence of this result is modifications to reduce immunogenicity will be centered on the affinity-determining regions. Modifications to CDR regions can be designed that reduce the immunogenic potential while maintaining the bioactivity of the antibody molecule.     

Peptide vaccines and peptide libraries

Synthetic immunogens, containing built-in adjuvanticity, B cell, T helper cell and CTL epitopes or mimotopes, are ideal and invaluable tools to study the immune response with respect to antigen processing and presentation. This serves as a basis for the development of complete and minimal vaccines which do not need large carrier proteins, further adjuvants, liposome formulations or other delivery systems. Combinatorial peptide libraries, either completely random or characterized by one or several defined positions, are useful tools for the identification of the critical features of B cell epitopes and of MHC class I and class II binding natural and synthetic epitopes. The complete activity pattern of an O/Xn library with hundreds of peptide collections, each made up from billions of different peptides, represents the ranking of amino acid residues mediating contact to the target proteins of the immune system. Combinatorial libraries support the design of peptides applicable in vaccination against infectious agents as well as therapeutic tumour vaccines. Using the principle of lipopeptide vaccines, strong humoral and cellular immune responses could be elicited. The lipopeptide vaccines are heat-stable, non-toxic, fully biodegradable and can be prepared on the basis of minimized epitopes by modern methods of multiple peptide synthesis. The lipopeptides activate the antigen-presenting macrophages and B cells and have been recently shown to stimulate innate immunity by specific interaction with receptors of the Toll family.     

The contribution of parasite-specific T cells to isotype restriction in Mesocestoides corti-infected mice

Mice infected with the parasite Mesocestoides corti undergo a polyclonal antibody response that results in a hypergammaglobulinemia restricted to the IgM and IgG1 isotypes. It was found that a similar restriction to IgM and IgG1 could be observed in an in vitro lymphocyte culture system providing that the source of helper T cells was from infected animals. In order to characterize the helper T cells responsible for the restriction, helper T cell clones were generated. Attempts to obtain isotype-restricting helper T cell clones by using the intact, nonviable organism were unsuccessful in that these T cell clones promoted multiple antibody class expression. However, two types of CD4+ (cluster designation) T cell clones were generated by cultivation on the live organism that appeared relevant to the observed restriction. These T cells did not function as conventional carrier-specific helper T cells. Instead, they were shown to regulate T-dependent responses to 2,4-dinitrophenyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin by 2,4-dinitrophenyl-specific B cells and keyhole limpet hemocyanin-primed T cells derived from uninfected mice. The helper phenotype of one regulatory clone enhanced the IgG1 response, whereas the other phenotype inhibited the production of the other non-IgM isotypes tested. It is concluded that the activities of these two prototype regulatory T cell clones may predominate in infected animals resulting in the IgM, IgG1 dominance of the antibody response.     

Modification of tumor cells by a low dose of Newcastle disease virus

Summary Augmented tumor-specific T cell responses were observed against the high metastatic murine lymphoma variant ESb when using as immunogen ESb tumor cells that had been modified by infection with a low dose of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Such virus-modified inactivated tumor cells (ESb-NDV) were potent tumor vaccines when applied postoperatively for active specific immunotherapy of ESb metastases. We demonstrate here that immune spleen cells from mice immunized with ESb-NDV contain enhanced immune capacity in both the CD4⁺, CD8^– and the CD4^–, CD8⁺ T cell compartments to mount a secondary-tumor-specific cytotoxic T cell response in comparison with immune cells from mice immunized with ESb. ESb-NDV immune CD4⁺, CD8^– helper T cells also produced more interleukin 2 after antigen stimulation than the corresponding ESb immune cells. There was no participation of either CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ virus-specific cells in the augmented response. The specificity of the T cells for the tumor-associated antigen remaind unchanged. Thus, there is the paradox that the virus-mediated augmentation of the tumor-specific T cell response in this system involves increased T helper activity but does not involve the recognition of viral epitopes as potential new helper determinants.Abbreviations CTL cytolytic T lymphocytes - IL-2 interleukin 2 - rIL-2 recombinant IL-2 - mAb monoclonal antibody - NDV Newcastle disease virus - SSC syngeneic spleen cell     

不同佐剂条件下Aβ多肽B细胞表位疫苗诱导产生抗体的免疫反应特性分析

目的:研究阿尔茨海默病β淀粉样肽(Aβ)B细胞表位疫苗2Aβ1-15-PADRE(Aβ-T)诱导产生抗体的免疫反应特性,并探讨不同佐剂对该疫苗免疫反应效果的影响。方法:合成了含2个Aβ42的 B细胞表位—Aβ1-15及1个辅助T细胞表位—PADRE的多肽2Aβ1-15-PADRE。采用Al(OH)₃佐剂,弗氏佐剂,Abisco佐剂,MF59佐剂分别与多肽疫苗联合免疫小鼠,并另设3个对照组:无佐剂多肽免疫组(Mock),PBS免疫组(PBS),未免疫组(Native)。结果:5组多肽免疫组小鼠均产生了针对Aβ的特异性抗体,无佐剂多肽免疫组的IgG抗体滴度最低,Al(OH)₃佐剂组,MF59佐剂组,Abisco佐剂组小鼠IgG抗体滴度较高,弗氏佐剂组IgG抗体滴度最高。斑点杂交实验结果显示5组小鼠免疫后血清与Aβ42单体反应较弱,与寡聚体反应最明显,与纤维状Aβ42几乎不反应。结论:4种佐剂均能提高多肽疫苗的免疫反应,产生高水平抗Aβ的特异性抗体。5组免疫小鼠产生的抗体均与Aβ寡聚体反应较强,与纤维状Aβ42反应较弱,表明该多肽疫苗具有良好的应用前景。     

Isotype restriction during infection of mice with the cestode Mesocestoides corti: role of immune suppression

Mice infected with the parasite Mesocestoides corti produce a vigorous antibody response that is restricted to the IgM and IgG1 heavy chain classes. The isotypic restriction observed is apparently associated with active infection and is not a unique characteristic of responses to M. corti antigens. Thus, animals immunized with intact but nonviable parasites respond with the production of a variety of antibody isotypes in addition to IgM and IgG1. To delineate immunoregulatory mechanisms involved in the isotypic restriction of antibody responses to M. corti, an in vitro lymphocyte suspension culture was established. The data indicate that there are two cell subsets in the spleens of infected mice that contribute to an overall suppression of the in vitro antibody response. Thus, both Lyt-2+ cells and G-10-adherent cells must be removed to maximize antibody production. However, the anti-parasite response obtained in vitro after depletion of Lyt-2+ cells and G-10-adherent cells is restricted to the IgM and IgG1 isotypes as observed in vivo, indicating that suppression is not actively involved in the IgM, IgG1 dominance of the response. The cellular regulation associated with this restriction was then studied by using isolated helper T cells derived from parasite-infected animals to stimulate B cells from uninfected animals. The antibody produced was again restricted to IgM and IgG1, indicating that the helper T cells were regulating the preferential expression of the IgM and IgG1 antibody classes.     

Epitope-Based Vaccine Target Screening against Highly Pathogenic MERS-CoV: An In Silico Approach Applied to Emerging Infectious Diseases

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) with pandemic potential is a major worldwide threat to public health. However, vaccine development for this pathogen lags behind as immunity associated with protection is currently largely unknown. In this study, an immunoinformatics-driven genome-wide screening strategy of vaccine targets was performed to thoroughly screen the vital and effective dominant immunogens against MERS-CoV. Conservancy and population coverage analysis of the epitopes were done by the Immune Epitope Database. The results showed that the nucleocapsid (N) protein of MERS-CoV might be a better protective immunogen with high conservancy and potential eliciting both neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses compared with spike (S) protein. Further, the B-cell, helper T-cell and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes were screened and mapped to the N protein. A total of 15 linear and 10 conformal B-cell epitopes that may induce protective neutralizing antibodies were obtained. Additionally, a total of 71 peptides with 9-mer core sequence were identified as helper T-cell epitopes, and 34 peptides were identified as CTL epitopes. Based on the maximum HLA binding alleles, top 10 helper T-cell epitopes and CTL epitopes that may elicit protective cellular immune responses against MERS-CoV were selected as MERS vaccine candidates. Population coverage analysis showed that the putative helper T-cell epitopes and CTL epitopes could cover the vast majority of the population in 15 geographic regions considered where vaccine would be employed. The B- and T-cell stimulation potentials of the screened epitopes is to be further validated for their efficient use as vaccines against MERS-CoV. Collectively, this study provides novel vaccine target candidates and may prompt further development of vaccines against MERS-CoV and other emerging infectious diseases.     

The cellular location of a foreign B cell epitope expressed by recombinant bacteria determines its T cell-independent or T cell-dependent characteristics.

We have targeted two foreign B cell antigenic determinants to different locations in the Escherichia coli cell to examine what effect this had on antibody responses elicited by the recombinant bacteria. The two epitopes were the 132-145 peptide from the PreS2 region of hepatitis B virus and the C3 neutralization epitope of poliovirus type 1. They were each expressed in two forms either on the surface, as part of the outer-membrane protein LamB, or soluble in the periplasm, as part of the periplasmic protein MalE. When live bacteria expressing the foreign epitope at the cell surface were used for immunization of mice, they induced T cell-independent antibody responses characterized by a rapid induction of IgM and IgG antibodies. In contrast, when the same foreign epitope was inserted into the MalE protein, the antibody response was only detectable after 3 wk, belonged only to the IgG class and was strictly T cell dependent. This study has therefore identified two major pathways by which epitopes expressed by bacterial cells can stimulate specific antibody responses. The first pathway is mediated by direct activation of B cells by bacterial cell-surface Ag and does not require T cell help. The second pathway is T cell dependent and concerns Ag that can be released from the bacteria in a soluble form. We have also studied the effect of the exact position of the B cell antigenic determinant within the LamB protein and with respect to the outer membrane by comparing the immunogenicity of the PreS epitope inserted at three different permissive sites of LamB. The data indicated that to obtain an antibody response with intact bacteria, the epitope must be protruding sufficiently from the outside of the outer membrane. In contrast, when semipurified hybrid proteins were used as immunogen, the exact position of the B cell antigenic determinant within solubilized LamB protein does not influence its immunogenicity.     

Priming of influenza virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes vivo by short synthetic peptides.

Influenza virus-specific CTL were primed in vivo by immunization with short synthetic peptides representing major CTL epitopes from the nucleoprotein of type A influenza virus. The resultant CTL after in vitro boosting of primed spleen cells recognized both virus-infected and peptide-pulsed target cells. The requirement of CD4+ T cell activation was investigated in several ways. First the addition of helper epitopes to the CTL epitope did not enhance CTL generation, suggesting that helper activity was either not limiting or not required. However, in vivo depletion of CD4+ T cells completely inhibited the generation of CTL by peptide immunization. The inclusion of anti-CD4 in the in vitro restimulation with peptide also prevented the generation of CTL, whereas in vitro reactivation of virus immune spleen cells with peptide was not inhibited by anti-CD4. Thus there appears to be heterogeneity in the requirement of CD4+ T cell proliferation in CTL generation. One possibility is that virus infected cells can stimulate higher affinity T cells that are less helper T cell dependent.     

Magnitude and diversity of cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte responses elicited by multiepitope DNA vaccination in rhesus monkeys

In an effort to develop an AIDS vaccine that elicits high-frequency cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses with specificity for a diversity of viral epitopes, we explored two prototype multiepitope plasmid DNA vaccines in the simian-human immunodeficiency virus/rhesus monkey model to determine their efficiency in priming for such immune responses. While a simple multiepitope vaccine construct demonstrated limited immunogenicity in monkeys, this same multiepitope genetic sequence inserted into an immunogenic simian immunodeficiency virus gag DNA vaccine elicited high-frequency CTL responses specific for all of the epitopes included in the vaccine. Both multiepitope vaccine prototypes primed for robust epitope-specific CTL responses that developed following boosting with recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara vaccines expressing complete viral proteins. The natural hierarchy of immunodominance for these epitopes was clearly evident in the boosted monkeys. These studies suggest that multiepitope plasmid DNA vaccine-based prime-boost regimens can efficiently prime for CTL responses of increased breadth and magnitude, although they do not overcome predicted hierarchies of immunodominance.     

Helper T cells against tumor-associated antigens (TAA): preferential induction of helper T cell activities involved in anti-TAA cytotoxic T lymphocyte and antibody responses

This study establishes assay systems for helper T cell activities assisting cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and antibody responses to tumor-associated antigens (TAA) and demonstrates the existence of TAA that induce preferentially anti-TAA CTL helper and B cell helper T cell activities in two syngeneic tumor models. C3H/HeN mice were immunized to the syngeneic X5563 plasmacytoma or MH134 hepatoma. Spleen cells from these mice were tested for anti-TAA helper T cell activity capable of augmenting anti-trinitrophenyl(TNP) CTL and anti-TNP antibody responses from anti-TNP CTL and B cell precursors (responding cells) by stimulation with TNP-modified X5563 or MH134 tumor cells. The results demonstrate that cultures of responding cells plus 85OR X-irradiated tumor-immunized spleen cells (helper cells) failed to enhance anti-TNP CTL or antibody responses when in vitro stimulation was provided by either unmodified tumor cells or TNP-modified syngeneic spleen cells (TNP-self). In contrast, these cultures resulted in appreciable augmentation of anti-TNP CTL or antibody response when stimulated by TNP-modified tumor cells. Such anti-TAA helper activities were revealed to be Lyt-1+2- T cell mediated and TAA specific. Most interestingly, immunization with X5563 tumor cells resulted in anti-TAA helper T cell activity involved in CTL, but not in antibody responses. Conversely, TAA of MH134 tumor cells induced selective generation of anti-TAA helper T cell activity responsible for antibody response. These results indicate that there exists the qualitative TAA-heterogeneity as evidenced by the preferential induction of anti-TAA CTL- and B cell-helper T cell activities. The results are discussed in the light of cellular mechanisms underlying the preferential anti-TAA immune responses, and the interrelationship between various types of cell functions including CTL- and B cell-help.     

Design of immunogenic and effective multi-epitope DNA vaccines for melanoma

Plasmid DNA vaccination is an attractive way to elicit T cell responses against infectious agents and tumor cells. DNA constructs can be designed to contain multiple T cell epitopes to generate a diverse immune response to incorporate numerous antigens and to reduce limitations due to MHC restriction into a single entity. We have prepared cDNA plasmid constructs containing several mouse T cell epitopes connected by either furin-sensitive or furin-resistant linkers and studied the effects of a cationic cell-penetrating sequence from HIV-tat. Significant CD8 T cell responses were obtained with multi-epitope DNA vaccines followed by in vivo electroporation regardless of the type of linker used and whether the construct had the HIV-tat sequence. The magnitude of immune responses was very similar to all CD8 T cell epitopes contained within each vaccine construct, indicating the absence of immunodominance. Incorporating a T helper epitope into the constructs increased the T cell responses. Prophylactic and therapeutic antitumor responses against B16 melanoma were obtained using a construct containing epitopes from melanosomal proteins, indicating that this vaccination was successful in generating responses to self-antigens that potentially may be subjected to immune tolerance. These findings are useful for designing DNA vaccines for a multitude of diseases where T lymphocytes play a protective or therapeutic role.     

MHC Class I-Presented T Cell Epitopes Identified by Immunoproteomics Analysis Are Targets for a Cross Reactive Influenza-Specific T Cell Response

Influenza virus infection and the resulting complications are a significant global public health problem. Improving humoral immunity to influenza is the target of current conventional influenza vaccines, however, these are generally not cross-protective. On the contrary, cell-mediated immunity generated by primary influenza infection provides substantial protection against serologically distinct viruses due to recognition of cross-reactive T cell epitopes, often from internal viral proteins conserved between viral subtypes. Efforts are underway to develop a universal flu vaccine that would stimulate both the humoral and cellular immune responses leading to long-lived memory. Such a universal vaccine should target conserved influenza virus antibody and T cell epitopes that do not vary from strain to strain. In the last decade, immunoproteomics, or the direct identification of HLA class I presented epitopes, has emerged as an alternative to the motif prediction method for the identification of T cell epitopes. In this study, we used this method to uncover several cross-specific MHC class I specific T cell epitopes naturally presented by influenza A-infected cells. These conserved T cell epitopes, when combined with a cross-reactive antibody epitope from the ectodomain of influenza M2, generate cross-strain specific cell mediated and humoral immunity. Overall, we have demonstrated that conserved epitope-specific CTLs could recognize multiple influenza strain infected target cells and, when combined with a universal antibody epitope, could generate virus specific humoral and T cell responses, a step toward a universal vaccine concept. These epitopes also have potential as new tools to characterize T cell immunity in influenza infection, and may serve as part of a universal vaccine candidate complementary to current vaccines.     

An Unstable Th Epitope of P. falciparum Fosters Central Memory T Cells and Anti-CS Antibody Responses

Malaria is transmitted by Plasmodium-infected anopheles mosquitoes. Widespread resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides and resistance of parasites to drugs highlight the urgent need for malaria vaccines. The most advanced malaria vaccines target sporozoites, the infective form of the parasite. A major target of the antibody response to sporozoites are the repeat epitopes of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein, which span almost one half of the protein. Antibodies to these repeats can neutralize sporozoite infectivity. Generation of protective antibody responses to the CS protein (anti-CS Ab) requires help by CD4 T cells. A CD4 T cell epitope from the CS protein designated T* was previously identified by screening T cells from volunteers immunized with irradiated P. falciparum sporozoites. The T* sequence spans twenty amino acids that contains multiple T cell epitopes restricted by various HLA alleles. Subunit malaria vaccines including T* are highly immunogenic in rodents, non-human primates and humans. In this study we characterized a highly conserved HLA-DRβ1*04:01 (DR4) restricted T cell epitope (QNT-5) located at the C-terminus of T*. We found that a peptide containing QNT-5 was able to elicit long-term anti-CS Ab responses and prime CD4 T cells in HLA-DR4 transgenic mice despite forming relatively unstable MHC-peptide complexes highly susceptible to HLA-DM editing. We attempted to improve the immunogenicity of QNT-5 by replacing the P1 anchor position with an optimal tyrosine residue. The modified peptide QNT-Y formed stable MHC-peptide complexes highly resistant to HLA-DM editing. Contrary to expectations, a linear peptide containing QNT-Y elicited almost 10-fold lower long-term antibody and IFN-γ responses compared to the linear peptide containing the wild type QNT-5 sequence. Some possibilities regarding why QNT-5 is more effective than QNT-Y in inducing long-term T cell and anti-CS Ab when used as vaccine are discussed.     

The role of T cell accessory molecules in the generation of class II-specific xenogeneic cytolytic T cells

In the generation of allogeneic, hapten-modified and virus-specific cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses there is usually a requirement for T-T interaction between the T helper cell (TH) and the precursor CTL (CTL). We have investigated the role of a TH signal in the induction of a xenogeneic mouse antihuman CTL response by using membranes and liposomes bearing the xenogeneic antigen to stimulate primed responders. The TH signal can be achieved by either an Ia-restricted, L3T4+ DR-specific T cell or by the addition of nonspecific T helper factors(s). This signal is delivered to an Lyt-2+, L3T4-DR-specific CTL to generate active xenogeneic (xeno-) CTL. The roles of the T cell accessory molecules L3T4, Lyt-2, and LFA-1 in the generation of and target cell lysis by xeno-CTL are investigated.     

Efficient simultaneous presentation of NY-ESO-1/LAGE-1 primary and nonprimary open reading frame-derived CTL epitopes in melanoma

Recent studies have shown that CTL epitopes derived from tumor-associated Ags can be encoded by both primary and nonprimary open reading frames (ORF). In this study we have analyzed the HLA-A2-restricted CD8(+) T cell response to a recently identified CTL epitope derived from an alternative ORF product of gene LAGE-1 (named CAMEL), and the highly homologous gene NY-ESO-1 in melanoma patients. Using MHC/peptide tetramers we detected CAMEL(1-11)-specific CD8(+) T cells in peptide-stimulated PBMC as well as among tumor-infiltrated lymph node cells from several patients. Sorting and expansion of tetramer(+) CD8(+) T cells allowed the isolation of tetramer(bright) and tetramer(dull) populations that specifically recognized the peptide Ag with high and low avidity, respectively. Remarkably, only high avidity CAMEL-specific CTL were able to recognize Ag-expressing tumor cells. A large series of HLA-A2-positive melanoma cell lines was characterized for the expression of LAGE-1 and NY-ESO-1 mRNA and protein and tested for recognition by CAMEL-specific CTL as well as CTL that recognize a peptide (NY-ESO-1(157-165)) encoded by the primary ORF products of the LAGE-1 and NY-ESO-1 genes. This analysis revealed that tumor-associated CD8(+) T cell epitopes are simultaneously and efficiently generated from both primary and nonprimary ORF products of LAGE-1 and NY-ESO-1 genes and, importantly, that this occurs in the majority of melanoma tumors. These findings underscore the in vivo immunological relevance of CTL epitopes derived from nonprimary ORF products and support their use as candidate vaccines for inducing tumor specific cell-mediated immunity against cancer.