Epitope selection and development of peptide based vaccines to treat cancer.
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognize peptides that associate with class I major histocompatibility complex molecules. Since cytotoxic T cells have the capacity to recognize and destroy tumor cells, identification of epitopes recognized by these cells in tumor-associated antigens would allow the production of compounds for the treatment of cancer. Here we review some of the approaches being explored to identify tumor-associated antigens and to develop peptide-based vaccines that induce cytotoxic T lymphocytes against specific tumors.
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Cytel Corporation, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000939:Epitopes; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic