title: p53, a potential target for tumor-directed T cells.
abstract: Cell lineage-specific cellular proteins, oncogenes from viral or cellular origin and tumor suppressor genes encode tumor-specific/associated antigens. Such antigens can elicit an major compatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response, either naturally in cancer patients or following appropriate immunostimulation (in vitro or in vivo). The reported immune responses in humans to the melanoma-associated MAGE gene products, GP100 and tyrosinase, all self-proteins, support the idea to use wild-type p53 products as targets for T cells. An important step towards this goal is identification of potential p53 CTL epitopes. We identified the wild-type p53 peptides with the highest affinity to the HLA-A*0201 molecule using two assays: the previously described MHC peptide-binding assay and the peptide competition assay. We obtained CTL against four p53 peptides with a high affinity for the HLA-A*0201 molecule. These findings are discussed next to a short review concerning the p53 literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohaematology and Blood Bank, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Nijman
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Van der Burg
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Vierboom
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Houbiers
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Kast
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Melief
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D009842:Oligopeptides; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53