title: Glycoprotein 96 and α-fetoprotein cross-linking complexes elicited specific antitumor immunity.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant gastroenterological cancers over the world. α-fetoprotein (AFP) is an oncofetal protein produced during HCC development that could generate weaker and less reproducible antitumor protection, and it may serve as a target for immunotherapy. Therefore, it is imperative to enhance its immunogenicity and develop therapeutic vaccines to eliminate AFP-expressing tumors. In this study, by way of glutaraldehyde cross-linking, we constructed a potential therapeutic protein vaccine, glycoprotein 96 (gp96)/AFP. Our results demonstrated that AFP and gp96 synergistically exhibited significant increase in AFP-specific CD8⁺ T-cell responses and impressive cytotoxic antitumor effect against AFP-expressing tumors. Priming mice with the reconstructed vaccine, we elicited robust strong protective immunity. Our study suggests that tumor vaccine by cross-linking tumor antigen and gp96 is a promising approach to cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology & Pathology, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China. wxpphd@yahoo.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qiao-Xia
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huan-Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ya-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yx
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C053387:endoplasmin