Tumor vaccine for ovarian carcinoma targeting sperm protein 17.

The authors previously identified sperm protein 17 (Sp17) as being expressed in patients with multiple myeloma. The restricted expression of Sp17 in normal tissue makes it an ideal target for tumor vaccine. In the current study, the authors extended their research to include ovarian carcinoma. A pair of sequence specific primers was used in reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to determine the gene expression of Sp17. A recombinant Sp17 protein was used with monocyte-derived dendritic cells and autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells to generate Sp17 specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs). The successful generation of Sp17 specific CTLs was confirmed using standard (51)chromium-release assays. Sp17 was found to be expressed in the primary tumor cells from 70% of the patients with ovarian carcinoma. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I- restricted Sp17 specific CTLs were generated successfully from the peripheral blood of three patients with ovarian carcinoma at the time of disease presentation. These CTLs were able to lyse autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cells in a Sp17-dependent manner. Target lysis was HLA class I-dependent and could be blocked by antibodies against monomorphic HLA class I but not HLA class II molecules. The CTLs also lysed Sp17-positive autologous tumor cells, suggesting that Sp17 is processed and presented in association with the HLA class I molecules in Sp17- positive tumor cells in a concentration and configuration that could be recognized by recombinant protein-primed CTLs. Tumor cell killing by the CTLs appeared to be mediated through the perforin pathway. Flow cytometric analysis of the CTLs indicated that they predominantly were CD8 in phenotype and produced interferon-gamma and scant amounts of interleukin-4. The results of the current study suggest the potential of Sp17 as a target for immunotherapy in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Chiriva-Internati M ，Wang Z ，Salati E ，Timmins P ，Lim SH ... -  《CANCER》

In vitro induction of tumor-specific human lymphocyte antigen class I-restricted CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes by ovarian tumor antigen-pulsed autologous dendritic cells from patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Santin AD ，Hermonat PL ，Ravaggi A ，Bellone S ，Pecorelli S ，Cannon MJ ，Parham GP ... -  《AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY》

Sperm protein 17 (Sp17) in multiple myeloma: opportunity for myeloma-specific donor T cell infusion to enhance graft-versus-myeloma effect without increasing graft-versus-host disease risk.

Chiriva-Internati M ，Wang Z ，Xue Y ，Bumm K ，Hahn AB ，Lim SH ... -  《EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY》

Induction of human tumor-associated differentially expressed gene-12 (TADG-12/TMPRSS3)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in human lymphocyte antigen-A2.1-positive healthy donors and patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Tumor-associated differentially expressed gene-12 (TADG-12) is a serine protease recently found highly differentially expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer. The goal of this study was to identify potential immunogenic peptides derived from TADG-12 for immunotherapy of ovarian carcinoma. A bioinformatics approach (ie, the BIMAS algorithm, National Institutes of Health, http://bimas.dcrt.nih.gov/molbio/hla_bind) was used to identify multiple immunogenic peptides derived from TADG-12 that bind to human leukocyte antigen-A2.1 and elicit peptide-specific human cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in healthy individuals and in patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. CD8+ CTL populations generated against 5 TADG-12-derived peptides were consistently able to induce lysis of autologous peptide-loaded target cells above background. Importantly, TADG-12 YLPKSWTIQV peptide-specific CTLs from healthy donors and ovarian cancer patients were found to effectively kill ovarian cancer cells naturally expressing TADG-12. Cytotoxicity was significantly inhibited by anti-human lymphocyte antigen (HLA)-A2.1 (BB7-2) and anti-HLA class I (W6 of 32) monoclonal antibodies, whereas natural killer-sensitive K562 cells were not lysed. TADG-12 YLPKSWTIQV peptide-specific CTL precursor frequency was low in peripheral blood leukocytes of normal donors and ovarian cancer patients, as determined by interferon-gamma production in enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot-forming cell assays. Intracellular cytokine expression measured by flow cytometry after OKT-3 monoclonal antibody stimulation showed a type 1 cytokine profile in YLPKSWTIQV peptide-specific CTLs. The TADG-12 YLPKSWTIQV peptide is an immunogenic epitope in ovarian tumors and may represent an attractive target for immunotherapy of ovarian cancer. These data may pave the way for TADG-12 peptide-derived cell-based therapy, including dendritic cell immunotherapy, for the vaccination of ovarian cancer patients harboring chemotherapy-resistant or residual disease.

Bellone S ，Anfossi S ，O'Brien TJ ，Cannon MJ ，Silasi DA ，Azodi M ，Schwartz PE ，Rutherford TJ ，Pecorelli S ，Santin AD ... -  《CANCER》

Successful generation of sperm protein 17 (Sp17)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes from normal donors: implication for tumour-specific adoptive immunotherapy following allogeneic stem cell transplantation for Sp17-positive multiple myeloma.

Chiriva-Internati M ，Wang Z ，Salati E ，Wroblewski D ，Lim SH ... -  《SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY》