title: Clinical trials targeting advanced cancers by active immunization of T-cell defined tumor antigens.
abstract: Identification of CD8(+) and CD4(+) T-cell defined tumor antigens has opened the way for possible cancer immunotherapy. Peptide-based active immunization has begun mainly targeting melanoma. Surprisingly, some objective responses were obtained in the initial trials, leading to the accumulation of an explosive number of such antigens. Serological screening of cDNA expression libraries accelerated the identification of immunodominant antigens, resulting in the emergence of the concept of a "cancer-testis antigen." On the other hand, an advance in basic immunology has been promptly adopted: dendritic cells, as potent professional antigen presenting cells have been preferentially used in combination with the antigen in clinical trials both in vivo and in vitro. Tetramer analysis provided a powerful tool to directly monitor antigen-specific T cells in vivo in these trials. Moreover, adoptive transfer of antigen-specific T cells has added a new perspective to recent cancer immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku Sapporo 060-8543. hikeda@sapmed.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D010455:Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins