title: Heat shock proteins gp96 as immunogens in cancer patients.
abstract: Heat shock proteins have been the focus of many experimental studies during the last few years in order to understand their biology and their imunologic features. We conducted pre-clinical experiments showing that gp96 purified from human melanoma lines can represent melanoma antigens and stimulate T cells known to recognize such antigens. Clinical studies of vaccination were then initiated by our group by using heat-shock protein gp96 purified from autologous tumor tissues in patients with melanoma and colorectal carcinoma. The results of these trials in metastatic melanoma patients with measurable disease showed that a melanoma-specific T cell response can be generated or increased in approximately 50% of vaccinated patients. Moreover, signs of clinical responses were obtained consisting of two complete responses and three long-lasting stabilizations. Similar results were obtained in patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer made disease-free by surgery. In both studies a clear association was found between T cell immune response induced by the vaccine and clinical response both in the trial of melanoma (tumor response) and in that of colorectal cancer patients (disease-free and overall survival at 5 years).
authors.affiliation: Unit of Immunotherapy of Human Tumors, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy. Giorgio.parmiani@istitutotumori.mi.it
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parmiani
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Filippo
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pilla
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: Licia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rivoltini
mesh_terms: D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C484813:vitespin