title: An antigen-targeted approach to adoptive transfer therapy of cancer.
abstract: Previous attempts to treat human malignancies by adoptive transfer of tumor-specific CTLs have been limited by the difficulty of isolating T cells of defined antigen specificity. The recent development of MHC class I/antigenic peptide tetrameric complexes that allow direct identification of antigen-specific T cells has opened new possibilities for the isolation and in vitro expansion of tumor-specific T cells. In the present study, we have derived polyclonal monospecific cell lines from circulating Melan-A-specific CTL precursors of HLA-A*0201+ melanoma patients by combining stimulation with recently identified peptide analogues of the immunodominant epitope from the melanoma-associated antigen Melan-A with staining with fluorescent HLA-A*0201/Melan-A peptide tetramers. In vitro expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells was monitored by flow cytometry with the fluorescent tetramers and anti-CD8 monoclonal antibody. This analysis revealed that Melan-A 26-35 peptide analogues were much more efficient than the parental peptides in stimulating a rapid in vitro expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. These cells were then isolated by tetramer-guided cell sorting and subsequently expanded in vitro by mitogen stimulation. The resulting polyclonal but monospecific CTLs fully cross-recognized the parental peptides and were able to efficiently lyse Melan-A-expressing tumor cells. Altogether, these results pave the way to a molecularly defined approach to antigen-specific adoptive transfer therapy of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Onco-Immunology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University Hospital, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland. Danila.Valmori@inst.hospvd.ch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valmori
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pittet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rimoldi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liénard
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dunbar
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cerundolo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lejeune
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cerottini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romero
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D019921:Biotinylation; D002460:Cell Line; D002469:Cell Separation; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D058965:MART-1 Antigen; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D007376:Interleukin-2; D058965:MART-1 Antigen; C548667:MLANA protein, human; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins