title: Simultaneous transduction of B7-1 and IL-2 genes into human melanoma cells to be used as vaccine: enhancement of stimulatory activity for autologous and allogeneic lymphocytes.
abstract: In order to construct an immunogenic cellular vaccine, we transduced three HLA-A*0201 human melanoma lines, selected for expression of classes I and II HLA, adhesion molecules and the T cell-defined melanoma antigens Melan/MART-1, gp100 and tyrosinase, with both interleukin-2 (IL-2) and B7-1 genes by the use of a polycistronic retroviral vector. The lines were selected to share only the HLA-A*0201 allele to avoid generation of strong alloreactivity in case of their multiple in vivo use in HLA-A*0201 + patients. Phenotypic and functional analysis of B7-1-IL2 transduced melanoma lines in comparison with B7-1 transduced and/or parental untransduced counterparts were then carried out. Tumor cells expressing either B7-1 or both genes did not change their original antigenic profile. From a functional point of view, expression of both genes in melanoma lines: (1) improved the response of anti-melanoma cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) over singly transduced or untransduced melanoma cells when subthreshold levels of MHC-peptide complexes were expressed by melanoma cells; (2) conferred a distinct advantage in the ability to stimulate cytotoxicity and interferon-gamma release by autologous and/or HLA-A*0201-compatible allogeneic lymphocytes; (3) allowed the generation of a high number of specific CTL by in vitro stimulation of lymphocytes of HLA-A*0201-melanoma patients. Thus, B7-IL2 gene-transduced melanoma lines appear to display a high immunogenicity and could be used as vaccine in melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Immunotherapy of Human Tumors, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzocchi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melani
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rivoltini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Vecchio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parmiani
mesh_terms: D018122:B7-1 Antigen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D015870:Gene Expression; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
chemical_list: D018122:B7-1 Antigen; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma