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Promiscuous survivin peptide induces robust CD4 + T‐cell responses in the majority of vaccinated cancer patients
Author(s) -
Widenmeyer Melanie,
Griesemann Heinrich,
Stevanović Stefan,
Feyerabend Susan,
Klein Reinhild,
Attig Sebastian,
Hennenlotter Jörg,
Wernet Dorothee,
Kuprash Dmitri V.,
Sazykin Alexei Y.,
Pascolo Steve,
Stenzl Arnulf,
Gouttefangeas Cécile,
Rammensee HansGeorg
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.26365
Subject(s) - peptide , survivin , cancer research , cancer , medicine , immunology , virology , oncology , biology , biochemistry
CD4 + T cells have been shown to be crucial for the induction and maintenance of cytotoxic T cell responses and to be also capable of mediating direct tumor rejection. Therefore, the anticancer therapeutic efficacy of peptide‐based vaccines may be improved by addition of HLA class II epitopes to stimulate T helper cells. Survivin is an apoptosis inhibiting protein frequently overexpressed in tumors. Here we describe the first immunological evaluation of a survivin‐derived CD4 + T cell epitope in a multipeptide immunotherapy trial for prostate carcinoma patients. The survivin peptide is promiscuously presented by several human HLA‐DRB1 molecules and, most importantly, is naturally processed by dendritic cells. In vaccinated patients, it was able to induce frequent, robust and multifunctional CD4 + T cell responses, as monitored by IFN‐γ ELISPOT and intracellular cytokine staining. Thus, this HLA‐DR restricted epitope is broadly immunogenic and should be valuable for stimulating T helper cells in patients suffering from a wide range of tumors.