title: Vaccination with a human high molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen mimotope induces a humoral response inhibiting melanoma cell growth in vitro.
abstract: Peptide mimics of a conformational epitope that is recognized by a mAb with antitumor activity are promising candidates for formulations of anticancer vaccines. These mimotope vaccines are able to induce a polyclonal Ab response focused to the determinant of the mAb. Such attempts at cancer immunotherapy are of special interest for malignant melanoma that is highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In this study, we describe for the first time the design and immunogenicity of a vaccine containing a mimotope of the human high m.w. melanoma-associated Ag (HMW-MAA) and the biological potential of the induced Abs. Mimotopes were selected from a pVIII-9mer phage display peptide library with the anti-HMW-MAA mAb 225.28S. The mimotope vaccine was then generated by coupling the most suitable candidate mimotope to tetanus toxoid as an immunogenic carrier. Immunization of rabbits with this vaccine induced a specific humoral immune response directed toward the epitope recognized by the mAb 225.28S on the native HMW-MAA. The induced Abs inhibited the in vitro growth of the melanoma cell line 518A2 up to 62%. In addition, the Abs mediated 26% lysis of 518A2 cells in Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Our results indicate a possible application of this mimotope vaccine as a novel immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of malignant melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Bio Life Science, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hafner
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Allwardt
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jasinska
authors.forename: Soldano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrone
authors.forename: Christoph C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zielinski
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Scheiner
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wiedermann
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pehamberger
authors.forename: Heimo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Breiteneder
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D000939:Epitopes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D019151:Peptide Library; D011817:Rabbits; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000939:Epitopes; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019151:Peptide Library; D013744:Tetanus Toxin; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D014764:Viral Proteins