A novel transgenic mouse model for immunological evaluation of carcinoembryonic antigen-based DNA minigene vaccines.
A lack of relevant animal models has hampered preclinical screening and critical evaluation of the efficacy of human vaccines in vivo. Carcinoembryonic antigen-A2Kb (CEA-A2Kb) double transgenic mice provide a biologically relevant model for preclinical screening and critical evaluation of human CEA vaccine efficacy in vivo, particularly because such animals are peripherally tolerant of CEA. We established the utility of this model by demonstrating that an oral DNA minigene vaccine induces effective HLA-A2-restricted, CEA-specific antitumor CTL responses. This finding is supported by three lines of evidence: (a). an effective HLA-A2-restricted, CEA(691)-specific CTL response; (b). specific in vitro killing of CEA-A2Kb transduced MC-38 colon carcinoma cells; and (c). protective immunity induced in vaccinated mice against challenges of these tumor cells. Importantly, peripheral T cell tolerance against CEA in CEA-A2Kb double transgenic mice was broken by the CEA(691) (IMIGVLVGV) minigene vaccine. In conclusion, CEA-A2Kb double transgenic mice were demonstrated to be good candidates for in vivo testing of human CEA-based vaccines. This result suggests a potential for these vaccines in future human vaccine development. The feasibility of using nonmutated self-antigens as targets for therapeutic vaccinations was indicated, provided that such antigens are presented in an immunogenic context; that is, as a DNA minigene in a bacterial carrier system.
Zhou
He
H
Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Luo
Yunping
Y
Mizutani
Masato
M
Mizutani
Noriko
N
Becker
Jürgen C
JC
Primus
F James
FJ
Xiang
Rong
R
Reisfeld
Ralph A
RA
D000818:Animals; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D019444:Vaccines, DNA