title: Transfection of IL-2 augments CTL response to human melanoma cells in vitro: immunological characterization of a melanoma vaccine.
abstract: We have transfected human melanoma cell line 518A2 with the cDNA encoding interleukin-2 (IL-2) or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and compared cytokine-producing clones for their ability to induce melanoma-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) from autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro. The parental cell line expressed HLA-A1, HLA-A2, ICAM-1, LFA-3, in addition to the common CTL antigens MAGE-1, MAGE-3, tyrosinase, gp100, and Melan-A/MART-1. Stimulation of autologous PBMC responders with the IL-2-transfected clone 518/IL2.14 specifically induced CTL lines reactive with all cell lines derived from the autologous patient. Strikingly, GM-CSF-transfected 518A2 cells did not induce anti-tumor CTL reactivity. CTL induction against 518/IL2.14 was independent of HLA class II expression or CD4 help. The parental cell line 518A2 gained immunogenic properties when high concentrations of IL-2 were supplied exogenously, indicating that IL-2 produced and present at high levels locally by itself enhanced immunogenicity. From the autologous CTL line reactive with 518/IL2.14, clones were generated against an as yet unknown antigen, which was present in all autologous melanoma cell lines as well as in 7 of 15 HLA-A2+ melanoma cell lines tested, but not in melanocytes. These results will be discussed with respect to the possibility of using IL-2-transfected melanoma cells as a vaccine for treatment of patients with melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Elsas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aarnoudse
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: van der Minne
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: van der Spek
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brouwenstijn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osanto
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Schrier
mesh_terms: D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor