title: Virus-like particles from rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus can induce an anti-tumor response.
abstract: Recombinant virus-like particles (VLP) expressing heterologous tumor antigens have recently been investigated for use as vaccines. We have chemically conjugated ovalbumin (OVA) or OVA-derived CD4 (OTII) and CD8 (OTI) epitopes, to rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) VLP. VLP conjugated with OVA were able to cross-prime CD8+ cells from OT1 mice transgenic for the OVA T cell receptor. VLP.OTI was able to induce higher antigen-specific cytotoxicity in vivo than VLP mixed with either the protein or the peptide. Furthermore we have shown that the growth of the aggressive B16.OVA melanoma in mice was significantly delayed in those animals that had been vaccinated with VLP.OVA or with VLP coupled with both OTI and OTII peptides prior to the introduction of the tumor. Neither VLP.OTI nor VLP.OTII alone were capable of inhibiting tumor growth. This work suggests that RHDV VLP offer a versatile scaffold for multiple vaccine epitopes, enabling cross-presentation of the antigen to elicit potent cell-mediated and anti-tumor responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, 720 Cumberland Street, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peacey
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perret
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ronchese
authors.forename: Vernon K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Vivienne
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Baird
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017929:Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Rabbit / Q000276:immunology*; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D010047:Ovalbumin