title: Identification of novel human leukocyte antigen-A*0201-restricted, cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes on CD133 for cancer stem cell immunotherapy.
abstract: Targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) with immunotherapy may be an effective means to prevent recurrences in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). It is well established that CD133 is expressed in the population of GBM tumor cells representing CSCs. This raises a possibility that CD133 could serve as a potential target for cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) to target glioblastoma cancer stem cells. Two potential human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*0201-restricted CD133 epitopes, ILSAFSVYV (CD133-405) and YLQWIEFSI (CD133-753), showed strong binding to HLA-A*0201 molecules. In vitro immunogenicity studies generated peptide-specific CD8(+) CTLs from normal donors. Autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells pulsed with the CD133-405 or CD133-753 peptides generated CTLs that efficiently recognized the CD133 epitopes presented in T2 HLA-A*0201 cells and specifically lysed CD133+ HLA-A*0201(+) GBM CSCs. These studies demonstrated natural processing and subsequent presentation of these epitopes in GBM CSCs and the ability of CTLs to kill CSCs bearing the antigen. Immunization studies in mice using the mouse homolog CD133 epitopes demonstrated immunogenicity in the absence of autoimmune damage. The results presented in this study support the use of CD133-specific epitope vaccines to target CSCs in glioblastoma and other cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA; Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California, USA; ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., Calabasas, Calfornia, USA.
authors.forename: Jianfei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Valeria A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Judkowski
authors.forename: Gentao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hongqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Alcinette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bunying
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Minlin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: Clemencia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinilla
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D006023:Glycoproteins; C435939:HLA-A*02:01 antigen; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D009842:Oligopeptides; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human; D010455:Peptides; C000606024:Prom1 protein, mouse
keywords: CD133; Cancer stem cell; Cytotoxic T cell; Dendritic cell; Immunotherapy