WO1997025860A9 - Immunogenes cellulaires utiles en tant que vaccins contre le cancer - Google Patents

Immunogenes cellulaires utiles en tant que vaccins contre le cancer

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Publication number
WO1997025860A9
WO1997025860A9 PCT/US1997/000582 US9700582W WO9725860A9 WO 1997025860 A9 WO1997025860 A9 WO 1997025860A9 US 9700582 W US9700582 W US 9700582W WO 9725860 A9 WO9725860 A9 WO 9725860A9
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oncogene
transgene
host
proto
cells
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PCT/US1997/000582
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English (en)
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WO1997025860A1 (fr
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Priority to JP09526124A priority Critical patent/JP2001501909A/ja
Priority to EP97902934A priority patent/EP0923284A4/fr
Priority to AU16992/97A priority patent/AU717356B2/en
Publication of WO1997025860A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997025860A1/fr
Publication of WO1997025860A9 publication Critical patent/WO1997025860A9/fr
Priority to US09/167,322 priority patent/US6365151B1/en

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Definitions

  • the invention relates to the field of cancer vaccination and immunotherapy.
  • a current goal of cancer research is the identification of host factors that either predispose to tumor formation or serve to enhance tumor growth.
  • oncogenes Genes that confer the ability to convert cells to a tumorigenic state are known as oncogenes.
  • the transforming ability of a number of retroviruses has been localized in individual viral oncogenes (generally ⁇ -onc).
  • Cellular oncogenes generally c-onc present in many species are related to viral oncogenes. It is generally believed that retroviral oncogenes may represent escaped and/or partially metamorphosed cellular genes that are inco ⁇ orated into the genomes of transmissible, infectious agents, the retroviruses.
  • Some c-onc genes intrinsically lack oncogenic properties, but may be converted by mutation into oncogenes whose transforming activity reflects the acquisition of new properties, or loss of old properties. Amino acid substitution can convert a cellular proto-oncogene into an oncogene. For example, each of the members of the c-ras proto-oncogene family (H-ras, N-ras and K-ras) can give rise to a transforming oncogene by a single base mutation. Other c-onc genes may be functionally indistinguishable from the corresponding v-onc, but are oncogenic because they are expressed in much greater amounts or in inappropriate cell types.
  • oncogenes are activated by events that change their expression, but which leave their coding sequence unaltered.
  • the best characterized example of this type of proto-oncogene is c- myc. Changes in MYC protein sequence do not appear to be essential for oncogenicity. Overexpression or altered regulation is responsible for the oncogenic phenotype. Activation of c-myc appears to stem from insertion of a retroviral genome within or near the c-myc gene, or translocation to a new environment. A common feature in the translocated loci is an increase in the level of c-myc expression. Gene amplification provides another mechanism by which oncogene expression may be increased. Many tumor cell lines have visible regions of chromosomal amplification.
  • a 20-fold c-myc amplification has been observed in certain human leukemia and lung carcinoma lines.
  • the related oncogene N-r ⁇ vc is five to one thousand fold amplified in human neuroblastoma and retinoblastoma.
  • the proto-oncogene c-myb is amplified five to ten fold. While established cell lines are prone to amplify genes, the presence of known oncogenes in the amplified regions, and the consistent amplification of particular oncogenes in many independent tumors of the same type, strengthens the correlation between increased expression and tumor growth.
  • Immunity has been successfully induced against tumor formation by inoculation with DNA constructs containing -onc genes, or by inoculation with v-onc proteins or peptides.
  • a series of reports describe a form of "homologous" challenge in which an animal test subject is inoculated with either oncoprotein or DNA constructs containing the v-src gene.
  • Protective immunity was induced against tumor formation by subsequent challenge with v- src DNA or v-src- induced tumor cells. See, Kuzumaki et al. , JNCI (1988), 80:959-962; Wisner et ai , J. Virol. (1991), 65:7020-7024; Halpern et al.
  • a challenge is said to be “homologous” where reactivity to the product of a targeted gene is induced by immunization with the same gene, the corresponding gene product thereof, or fragment of the gene product.
  • a challenge is "heterologous” where reactivity to the product of a targeted gene is induced by immunization with a different gene, gene product or fragment thereof.
  • WO 92/14756 (1992) describes synthetic peptides and oncoprotein fragments which are capable of eliciting T cellular immunity, for use in cancer vaccines.
  • the peptides and fragments have a point mutation or translocation as compared to the corresponding fragment of the proto-oncogene.
  • the aim is to induce immunoreactivity against the mutated proto-oncogene, not the wild-type proto-oncogene.
  • WO 92/14756 thus relates to a form of homologous challenge.
  • EP 119.702 (1984) describes synthetic peptides having an amino acid sequence corresponding to a determinant of an oncoprotein encoded by an oncogenic virus, which determinant is vicinal to an active site of the oncoprotein.
  • the active site is a region of the oncoprotein required for oncoprotein function, e.g. , catalysis of phosphorylation.
  • the peptides may be used to immunize hosts to elicit antibodies to the oncoprotein active site.
  • EP 119,702 is thus directed to a form of homologous challenge.
  • the protein product encoded by a proto-oncogene constitutes a self antigen and, depending on the pattern of its endogenous expression, would be tolerogenic at the level of T cell recognition of the self peptides of this product. Thus, vaccination against cancers which derive from proto-oncogene overexpression is problematic.
  • the immunogen selected to induce immunity comprised a purified peptide of the pl85 HER"2/ne " protein, and not a cellular immunogen.
  • cytotoxic T cells elicited in the latter report were not, however, shown to recognize tumor cells, but only targets that bound the synthesized peptides.
  • Other work (Dahl et al , J. Immunol. (1996), 157:239- 246) has demonstrated that cytotoxic cells may recognize targets that bind peptide but fail to recognize targets that endogenously synthesize peptide. It is thus unclear whether the cytotoxic cells elicited by Disis et al. would be capable of recognizing tumor cells. In any event, no protection against tumor growth was demonstrated by Disis et al.
  • Non-mutant, peptide antigen-presenting cells have their HLA class I molecules already loaded with endogenous peptides, a phenomenon which precludes exogenous loading from without.
  • the value of the mutant lines is that they lack the TAP genes (encoding the transporters associated with antigen presentation). Class I binding of internally- derived peptides is significantly lowered, and "empty" class I molecules are present on the cell surface and available for binding of exogenously added peptides.
  • Fendly et al J. Biol Response Modifiers (1990), 9:449-455 present an account of a polypeptide-based immunotherapy .
  • Purified polypeptide corresponding to the extracellular domain of the pl85 HER 2 w " protein was obtained from a transfected cell line.
  • the purified peptide was employed in the immunization of guinea pigs.
  • the immunized animals developed a cellular immune response, as monitored by delayed-type hypersensitivity.
  • Antisera derived from immunized animals specifically inhibited the in vitro growth of human breast tumor cells overexpressing ⁇ l85 HER 2 ne ".
  • peptides for immunization are of necessity limited to immunization with a single haplotype. There are approximately thirty HLA types in man. In each case of peptide immunization, one must be careful to select peptides which match the host HLA type. The selected peptide must be immunogenic in the host and be capable of presentation to host immune system cells.
  • a method of vaccinating a host against disease associated with the overexpression of a target proto-oncogene comprises: (a) excising cells from the host;
  • transfecting the excised cells with at least one transgene construct comprising at least one transgene cognate to the target proto-oncogene and a strong promoter to drive the expression of the transgene in the transfected cells, the transgene encoding a gene product which induces host immunoreactivity to host self-determinants of the product of the target proto-oncogene gene; (c) returning the excised cells transfected with the transgene construct to the body of the host to obtain expression of the transgene in the host.
  • the transgene comprises wild-type or mutant retroviral oncogene DNA.
  • the transgene comprises wild- type or mutant proto-oncogene DNA of a species different from the host species.
  • the mutant DNA is preferably nontransforming.
  • the mutant DNA preferably comprises a deletion mutation in a region of the DNA which is essential for transformation.
  • the host cells are transfected with a plurality, most preferably at least five, different transgene constructs, each construct encoding a different deletion mutation.
  • the mutant DNA has at least about 75 % homology, more preferably at least about 80% homology, most preferably at least about 90% homology, with the corresponding wild-type oncogene or proto-oncogene DNA.
  • the invention is further directed to a cellular immunogen for immunizing a host against the effects of the product of a target proto-oncogene, the overexpression of which is associated with a cancer.
  • the cellular immunogen comprises the host cells which have been transfected with at least one transgene construct, as described above.
  • the invention is also directed to a method of preparing the cellular immunogen, by (a) excising cells from the host, and (b) transfecting the excised cells with at least one transgene construct, as described above.
  • the cells transfected with the transgene are preferably rendered non-dividing prior to return to the body of the host.
  • a polynucleotide sequence is homologous (i.e. , is identical, not strictly evolutionarily related) to all or a portion of a reference polynucleotide sequence, or that a polypeptide sequence is identical to a reference polypeptide sequence.
  • cognate refers to a gene sequence that is evolutionarily and functionally related between species.
  • human c-myc gene is the cognate gene to the mouse c-myc gene, since the sequences and structures of these two genes indicate that they are highly homologous and both genes encode proteins which are functionally equivalent.
  • homology is meant the degree of sequence similarity between two different amino acid sequences, as that degree of sequence similarity is derived by the FASTA program of Pearson and Lipman, Proc.
  • operably linked refers to a linkage of polynucleotide elements in a functional relationship.
  • a nucleic acid is “operably linked” when it is placed into a functional relationship with another nucleic acid sequence.
  • a promoter or enhancer is operably linked to a coding sequence if it affects the transcription of the coding sequence.
  • Operably linked means that the DNA sequences being linked are typically contiguous and, where necessary to join two protein coding regions, contiguous and in reading frame.
  • transfection is meant to have its ordinary meaning, that is, the introduction of foreign DNA into eukaryotic cells.
  • transgene is meant a foreign gene that is introduced into one or more host cells.
  • transgene construct DNA containing a transgene and additional regulatory DNA, such as promoter elements, necessary for the expression of the transgene in the host cells.
  • Figs. IA and IB are plots of the mean tumor diameter over time following subcutaneous wing web inoculation of 1 -day-old line TK (Fig. IA) and line SC (Fig. IB) chickens with 100 ⁇ g of tumorigenic plasmids p ⁇ src527 (—A —), pVSRC-Cl (— •— ) or pMvsrc ( — ⁇ — ).
  • the mean tumor diameter (mm) at a particular time point and for any one group of TK or SC line chickens inoculated was computed as the sum of the diameters of the primary tumors divided by the number of chickens surviving to that point.
  • the ratios at each time point show, for a particular group, the number of chickens bearing palpable tumors to the total number of survivors to that point (standard typeface for p ⁇ yrc527, italics for pVSRC-Cl , bold typeface for pMV src). Error bars (unless obscured by the symbol) indicate standard error.
  • Figs. 2A and 2B are plots of the growth of challenge (wing web) tumors in test and control line TK chickens under conditions of (i) priming and homologous challenge with plasmid pcsrc527 (Fig.2A: — ⁇ — , test; — A — , control), or (ii) priming and homologous challenge with plasmid pVSRC-Cl (Fig. 2B: — O — , test; — • — , control). Test chickens were primed at 1 day posthatch with 100 ⁇ g of construct; test and control chickens were challenged at five weeks posthatch with 200 ⁇ g of construct. The mean challenge diameter was computed as in Figs. IA and IB.
  • the ratio of chickens bearing palpable challenge tumors to total number of survivors to that point is indicated (standard typeface for control group, bold typeface for test group).
  • the statistical comparison between the mean challenge tumor diameters of the test versus the control group at a particular time point was made using a two- tailed student's t test, *(p ⁇ 0.05), **(p ⁇ 0.01), ***(p ⁇ 0.001).
  • the statistical comparison between the ratios of chickens bearing palpable challenge tumors to total number of survivors of the test versus the control group at a particular time point was made using a chi-squared test; the paired ratios are underlined for only those time points where p ⁇ 0.05. Error bars indicate standard error. Figs.
  • FIG. 3 A and 3B are plots of the growth of challenge (wing web) tumors in TK chickens under conditions of (i) priming with plasmid pVSRC-Cl and heterologous challenge with plasmid p ⁇ src527 (Fig. 3A: — ⁇ — , test; — A — , control) or (ii) priming with pcsrc527 and heterologous challenge with pVSRC-Cl (Fig. 3B: — O— , test; — •— , control). Test chickens were primed at 1 day posthatch with 100 ⁇ g of construct; test and control chickens were challenged at five weeks posthatch with 200 ⁇ g of construct.
  • the mean challenge tumor diameter was computed as in Figs. IA and IB. At each time point the ratio of chickens bearing palpable challenge tumors to total number of survivors to that point is indicated (standard typeface for control group, bold typeface for test group). Statistical comparisons were made between test and control groups at a particular time point as described for Figs. 2 A and 2B. [*(p ⁇ 0.05), **(p ⁇ 0.01), ***( ⁇ 0.001), for the student's t test], and the paired ratios are underlined for only those time points where, in the chi-squared test, p ⁇ 0.05. Error bars indicate standard error.
  • a vaccination strategy is provided to prevent development of cancers.
  • the vaccination method may be carried out on a subject at risk for a particular cancer, but before the development of the cancer.
  • the practice of the invention may serve for the immunoprevention of prevalent human cancers, such as colon carcinoma, breast carcinoma, and various lymphomas whose progress is accompanied by the overexpression of a cellular proto-oncogene.
  • the vaccination strategy of the present invention relies on the induction of an immune response that targets tumor cells by virtue of the recognition of the proto-oncogene-specific antigenicity .
  • the aim of the vaccine protocol is to induce reactivity to self-determinants of an overexpressed proto- oncogene product.
  • the strategy exploits the structural relatedness between the product of the cellular proto-oncogene and that of the product of genes cognate to the target proto-oncogene.
  • the cognate gene may comprise a wild-type or mutant cognate retroviral oncogene or a wild-type or mutant proto-oncogene of a species different from the host species.
  • the starting point of the vaccine strategy is the high degree of primary sequence homology that exists between the protein product of a targeted proto-oncogene and that of its cognate retroviral oncogene, or between the proto-oncogene product and the product of a cognate proto-oncogene from a different species.
  • the present invention is not based on the immune recognition of a determinant defined by a cancer specific mutation.
  • this sequence homology permits application of the following strategy, which can be employed either prophylactically or therapeutically under conditions of cell- surface expression, or other forms of adjuvanicity, as chosen to enhance immunogenicity: (a) immunization of host biopsied cells with a DNA construct comprising a transgene cognate to the target proto-oncogene, which transgene encodes a gene product which induces host immunoreactivity to host self- determinants of the product of the target proto-oncogene; (b) return of the transfected cells to the body of the host to obtain expression of the transgene in the host, and thus immunity against the proto-oncogene product.
  • the invention relies on the targeting of a self-determinant found on an overexpressed or overabundant proto-oncogene-encoded product.
  • the foreign peptide elements of the immunizing oncogene product will trigger peripheral lymphocytes exhibiting a weak cross reactivity for the self peptides of the targeted proto- oncogene product.
  • self peptides would be present in normal cells expressing the proto-oncogene, targeting of the tumor cells is favored in view of their overexpression of the proto-oncogene.
  • the immune strategy exploits the antigenicity of two alternative types of determinants: (1) tumor-associated antigenic determinant(s) induced as a consequence of the activity of the oncogene product, e.g. , an enzymatic modification of a cellular protein effected by the oncogene product, or (2) tumor associated antigenic determinant(s) intrinsic to the oncogene-encoded product itself.
  • tumor-associated antigenic determinant(s) induced as a consequence of the activity of the oncogene product e.g. , an enzymatic modification of a cellular protein effected by the oncogene product
  • tumor associated antigenic determinant(s) intrinsic to the oncogene-encoded product itself e.g., tumor associated antigenic determinant(s) intrinsic to the oncogene-encoded product itself.
  • those peptide determinants that show sequence differences with the positionally homologous determinants of the cellular proto-oncogene product do not in itself have vaccine potential, since the foreign determinants specific to the retroviral oncogene product are normally absent from the cellular proto-oncogene product. Nevertheless, the foreign peptide elements, notably those that differ by only a single amino acid from the positionally homologous self peptides, trigger peripheral T-lymphocytes exhibiting a weak cross-reactivity for the self peptides. Although such self peptides are present in normal cells expressing the proto-oncogene, targeting of the tumor cells is favored in view of their overexpression of the proto-oncogene .
  • the present vaccination method does not have as its object the deliberate targeting of non-self determinants generated by proto-oncogene mutations. Unlike prior vaccination methods designed to target such mutation- driven non-self determinants, it is the aim of the present invention to induce reactivity for self-determinants in the overexpressed product of tumor associated and overexpressed proto-oncogenes.
  • non-self peptides While the cellular immunogens of the invention display self peptides, non-self peptides would also be presented which may serve as more effective tolerance breakers.
  • the value of a non-self, but closely related to self, peptide is that it may more readily activate those T cells that have both a weak cross reactivity for the cognate self peptide and an activation threshold (determined by the tightness of binding to the T cell receptor) too high to be triggered by the self peptide.
  • cognate non-self is inductive of a good immune response, simply because it does in fact constitute nonself.
  • the non- self immune response is expected to predispose the induction of the inevitably weaker response to the self determinants on the same protein product, since the resultant cytokine release provides local help to initiate the weaker anti-self response.
  • patients with a family history of a cancer characterized by the overexpression of a particular proto-oncogene are selected for immunization.
  • patients whose tumors can be shown to overexpress the proto-oncogene are selected.
  • Overexpression of a proto-oncogene may derive from an increase over a basal level of transcription.
  • Overexpression may also derive from gene amplification, that is, an increase in gene copy number, coupled with a basal or elevated level of transcription.
  • Proto-oncogene overexpression may be assayed by conventional probing tech- niques, such as described in Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual J. Sambrook et al , eds. , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2nd ed.
  • the level of target proto-oncogene expression may be determined by probing total cellular RNA from patient cells with a complementary probe for the rele ⁇ vant mRNA.
  • Total RNA from the patient cells is fractionated in a glyox- al/agarose gel, transferred to nylon and hybridized to an appropriately labelled nucleic acid probe for the target mRNA.
  • the number of relevant mRNA tran ⁇ scripts found in the patient cells is compared to that found in cells taken from the same tissue of a normal control subject.
  • the expression level of a target proto-oncogene may be assessed by assaying the amount of encoded protein which is formed.
  • Western blotting is a standard protocol in routine use for the determination of protein levels. See Molecular Cloning, supra, Chapter 18, inco ⁇ orated herein by reference. Accordingly, a cell lysate or other cell fraction containing protein is electrophoresed on a polyacrylamide gel, followed by protein transfer to nitrocellulose, and probing of the gel with an antibody specific for the protein in question. The probe step permits resolution of the desired protein from all other proteins in the starting mixture.
  • the bound antibody may be prelabeled, e.g.
  • a radioisotope such as 125 I
  • a secondary reagent usually an anti-immunoglobin or protein A
  • an enzyme such as horseradish peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase.
  • the strength of the signal is proportional to the amount of the target protein. The strength of the signal is compared with the signal from a sample analyzed in the same manner, but taken from normal as opposed to tumor tissue.
  • Table 1 includes a partial list of representative proto-oncogenes, the overexpression of which has been associated with one or more malignancies.
  • Each listed proto-oncogene is a target proto-oncogene according to the present invention.
  • the corresponding oncogene, of which the target proto-oncogene is the normal cellular homolog, is also identified. This list of target proto- oncogenes is intended to be representative, and not a complete list.
  • AKT-2 ovarian v-Akt is the oncogene of the AKT8 virus, which induces lymphomas in mice. 1. Bellacosa et al , (1995) Int. J. Cancer
  • AKT-2 pancreatic Cheng et al (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
  • c-t?rbB-2 bladder c-ErbB-2 is also known as HER2/neu.
  • V-erbB is the oncogene of the avian erythroblastosis virus.
  • MDM-2 leukemia MDM-2 is the murine double minute-2 oncogene.
  • Bueso-Ramos et al (1993) Blood 82(9): 2617- 23: 53% of cases showed overexpression of MDM-2 mRNA.
  • the level of MDM-2 mRNA overexpression in some cases of leukemias was comparable to that observed in some sarcomas, which demonstrate more than 50-fold MDM-2 gene amplification. No evidence of gene amplification was observed.
  • Watanabe et al , (1994) Blood 84(9): 3158-65: 28% of patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia or non- Hodgkin's lymphoma had 10-fold higher levels of
  • MDM-2 gene expression MDM-2 overexpression was found more frequently in patients at advanced clinical stages.
  • c-myb colon V-myb is the oncogene of the avian myeloblastoma virus. 1 . Ramsay et al , (1992)
  • c-myc breast V-myc is the oncogene of the avian myelocytoma virus. 1. Lonn et al , (1995) Cancer
  • c-src breast V-src is the oncogene of the Rous sarcoma virus, which induces sarcomas in chickens .
  • Muthuswamy et al (1994) Mol. and Cell. Biol 14(l):735-43: c-erbB-2-induced mammary tumors possessed 6-8-fold higher c-src kinase activity than adjacent epithelium.
  • c-yes colon V-yes is the oncogene of two avian sarcoma viruses, Esh sarcoma virus and Y73. 1 .
  • Pena et al (1995) Gastroent. 108(1): 117-24: Twelve to fourteen-fold higher expression of c-yes was found in colonic transforming oncogene adenomas compared to normal mucosa. Activity of c-yes was elevated in adenomas that are at greatest risk for developing cancer. 2. Park et al , (1993)
  • Oncogene 8(10) .2627-35 A ten to 20-fold higher than normal activity of c-yes was observed in 3 out of 5 colon carcinoma cell lines. A 5-fold higher than normal activity was found in 10 out of 21 primary colon cancers, compared to normal colonic cells. Selection of Cognate Transgene for Preparation of Cellular Immunogen
  • a transgene construct is engineered comprising a transgene which is cognate to the target proto-oncogene (hereinafter "cognate transgene” or “CTG”).
  • CCG target proto-oncogene
  • the transgene is selected such that it encodes a gene product which induces host immunoreactivity to host self- determinants of the product of the target proto-oncogene.
  • the transgene should be expressed to very high levels in the transfectants.
  • the construct should contain a strong promoter.
  • the product encoded by the cognate gene must have a high degree of sequence homology with the product of the target proto-oncogene, but also must display some amino acid differences with the target proto-oncogene product. Thus, there must be a subset of one or more amino acid differences between the target proto-oncogene and its cognate in order to provide immunogenic stimulus.
  • Two classes of genes that satisfy these criteria are retroviral oncogenes and xenogenic proto-oncogenes.
  • the word "xenogenic" is intended to have its normal biological meaning, that is, a property or characteristic referring or relating to a different species.
  • a xenogenic proto-oncogene is meant to include the a homologous proto-oncogene of a species other than the host organism species. It may be appreciated that in the case of a target proto-oncogene, e.g. MDM2, for which no retroviral homolog is yet known, a xenogenic homologue is advantageously utilized as the source of the DNA for the cognate transgene.
  • a target proto-oncogene e.g. MDM2
  • a xenogenic homologue is advantageously utilized as the source of the DNA for the cognate transgene.
  • a more effective immunogenic stimulus would depend on the particular sequence, and not on the distinction between a retroviral oncogene and a xenogenic proto-oncogene in terms of their relative transforming capacity.
  • a retroviral oncogene may be better at providing a tolerance-breaking immunogenic stimulus, and in other cases, a xenogenic proto-oncogene may be more effective.
  • the retroviral oncogene or xenogenic proto-oncogene DNA forming the CTG may comprise the wild type oncogene or proto-oncogene DNA. More preferably, a mutant DNA is utilized, which is engineered so as to be non-transforming in the host. The DNA is mutated to include one or more nucleotide insertions, deletions or substitutions which will encode an oncogene product which is nontransforming in the host, but retains the requisite degree of sequence homology with respect to the target proto-oncogene.
  • a cognate transgene deletion mutant hereinafter "dCTG" is preferred.
  • a protein sequence is generally considered "cognate" with respect to the target proto-oncogene-encoded protein if it is evolutionarily and functionally related between species.
  • a more precise view of cognation is based upon the following sequence comparison carried out utilizing the FASTA program of Pearson and Lipman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1988), 85:2444- 2448, the entire disclosure of which is inco ⁇ orated herein by reference. Cognation is attained upon satisfying two criteria imposed by FASTA; (i) alignment of segments corresponding to at least 75% of the target proto- oncogene's encoded amino acid sequence; (ii) at least 80% amino acid identity within the aligned sequences.
  • the segments of the target proto-oncogene protein sequence and protein test sequence satisfying the two criteria are referred to as "homology regions". Accordingly, at least 75% of the target proto-oncogene protein sequence is alignable with the test sequence.
  • the alignable segments or homology regions may, however, represent less than 75 % of the total test polypeptide chain for the case of test sequences that may significantly exceed the target proto-oncogene protein in length.
  • One skilled in the art may survey existing sequence data bases (either protein sequences or DNA sequences, insofar as the amino acid sequence is determined by FASTA for all reading frames) for test sequences which are cognate with respect to the target proto-oncogene.
  • test sequences which are cognate with respect to the target proto-oncogene.
  • one can isolate and then sequence what are very likely to be cognate test sequences e.g. feline MDM-2, as likely to be cognate to human MDM-2
  • FASTA to verify the presumed cognation, according to the criteria set above.
  • One may obtain the sequences of presumptive cognate proto-oncogenes from a large number of mammalian sequences and screen these sequences with FASTA according to the aforesaid formulation of cognation.
  • an immunogenic stimulus is provided that (i) is directed against the foreign protein and (ii) with a lower probability, induce an anti-self response.
  • the CTG is selected such that the gene product will yield the greatest immunogenic stimulus to induce anti-self reactivity.
  • overall sequence homology preferably greater than about 75%) is maintained, the presence of scattered amino acid differences is desired, since any one residue would likely have a relatively low probability of inducing self-reactivity. Moreover, the greatest number of residue differences would be advantageous, consistent with maintaining the requisite degree of general sequence homology.
  • the selection of amino acid modifications for the CTG may be facilitated by resort to available computer-based models used to identify immunogenic peptide fragments of polypeptides. These models could be employed to select CTGs which would possess the maximum number of immunogenic peptides for a given HLA haplotype.
  • cells are biopsied from a normal volunteer of particular haplotype.
  • the cells are transfected with a CTG construct, preferably a dCTG construct, satisfying the criteria set for cognition.
  • the cells are transfected with multiple dCTGs, preferably at least five dCTGs, satisfying the criteria for cognition.
  • the at least five dCTGs are selected to display amino acid differences that essentially extend throughout the polypeptide chains of the encoded sequences.
  • the transfected cells are then used to immunize the volunteer in accordance with the immunization method of the present invention.
  • the human subject is tested in a standard delayed hypersensitivity (DH) reaction with 10 4 -10 6 irradiated, autologous fibroblasts, as transfected with the same dCTG (or series of dCTGs) as used for the immunizing preparation.
  • DH delayed hypersensitivity
  • a positive DH reaction would verify the induction of reactivity.
  • the induction of reactivity in this assay is readily demonstrable because of the priming to the non-self determinants on the dCTG- encoded protein and the readout in the DH reaction of the same nonself determinants.
  • DH reactivity is demonstrated in a DH reaction that directly tests the antigenicity of the non-self determinants encoded by the dCTG (i. e. , priming with a non-self construct, DH testing with the same non-self construct)
  • the subject can be then tested in a DH reaction based on testing with the autologous cells transfected with a dCTG derived from the human proto- oncogene itself (i.e. , priming with a non-self construct, testing with the human self construct).
  • this procedure may be used with patients undergoing tumor resection (if post-operative immuno-suppressive protocols are not mandatory), such that prior to resection, a course of immunization would have been initiated, the endpoint of which would represent the development of a DH reaction.
  • any given amino acid difference between the CTG-encoded product and the proto-oncogene-encoded product has a low probability of being a "tolerance-breaker".
  • the number of different dCTGs is preferably five or more.
  • the multiple dCTGs show amino acid differences that essentially extend throughout the polypeptide chains of the encoded sequences.
  • the dCTGs would be selected to maximize amino acid differences and, at the same time, make sure that differences are found all along the polypeptide chain. It would thus not be preferable to select a battery of deletions all from within the same domain of the polypeptide chain.
  • Non-transforming cognate transgene variants are most advantageously derived via deletion of a sequence essential for transformation. Unlike point mutations which are potentially reversible due to back mutations, deletion mutations are irreversible. Furthermore, deletion mutations do not possess the inherent disadvantage attaching to point mutations, namely, even though the requirement for generation of an acceptable cognate transgene is for a qualitative difference with the wild type, i.e. , non-transforming versus transforming, any given point mutation may be neutral or else quantitative in its effect, that is, the mutation may reduce but not totally eliminate transformability.
  • a deletion is created in a region of the cognate transgene which encodes an amino acid sequence required for transformation. Consonant with non- transformability, the smallest deletion possible so as to leave intact the bulk of the antigenicity of the transgene product is selected.
  • the deletion mutant is engineered to include at least a part of the region identified as critical for transformation. In those cases where essential amino acids have been identified, the deletion will span these residues.
  • the engineering of any desired deletion can be readily accomplished by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) according to conventional PCR techniques, based upon the known nucleotide sequence of the unmutated cognate transgene.
  • a test dCTG engineered on the basis of known or ascertained transformation-specific domains, and driven by the strongest possible promoter, is used to transfect murine 3T3 cells.
  • a sister culture of 3T3 cells is also transfected, with non-deleted CTG.
  • Each CTG or dCTG cell culture is inoculated into nude mice, in the absence of any treatment to render the cells non-dividing.
  • dCTGs which do not yield tumors in the mice even after prolonged observation are then utilized as transgenes for the biopsied human cells which, upon transfection with the transgene, will serve as a cellular vaccine according to the practice of the present invention.
  • the dCTGs are selected with the smallest deletion mutant consonant with non-transformability.
  • Some CTGs representing xenogenic proto-oncogenes may not be tumorigenic in the 3T3/nude mouse assay. For any such non-transforming CTG, it is not essential to generate a dCTG.
  • deletion mutant when the transgene is based upon a xenogenic proto-oncogene.
  • the deletion would be engineered so as to remove the homologous region to that deleted in the particular dCTG that corresponds to the deletion in the corresponding retroviral oncogene dCTG.
  • the transgene construct may comprise mutant oncogene or proto-oncogene DNA which is nontransforming, it is nevertheless preferable, as a safety measure, to treat the transfected cells to render them non- dividing before inoculation back into the host.
  • the cells are irradiated with a radiation dosage sufficient to render them non-dividing.
  • an oncogenicity testing regimen may take the form of three separate assays: (i) dCTG transfection of NIH 3T3 cells, followed by inoculation into nude mice; (ii) dCTG transfection of human fibroblasts, followed by inoculation into nude mice; and (iii) dCTG transfection of human fibroblasts, followed by an in vitro test of anchorage-dependent growth. In principle, all three should be negative to validate the use of any given dCTG in the vaccination method of the present invention.
  • the transfectants are inoculated into nude mice. Tumorigenicity of the transfectants in the mice is then evaluated according to standard protocols.
  • human fibroblasts are transfected with the test dCTG as proposed in the above human immunization protocol. After stable dCTG transfection of human fibroblasts, however, rather than carrying out X-irradiation of the transfectants to render them non-dividing, followed by inoculation of the irradiated transfectants back into the human host, the transfectants are directly inoculated into nude mice as a direct test of tumorigenicity.
  • assay (ii) is probably much less sensitive than assay (i), but does have the advantage of offering a direct test of dCTG oncogenicity in human cells.
  • non- irradiated dCTG- transfected human fibroblasts are assayed for anchorage-dependent growth, i.e. colony formation in soft agar, as a test of dCTG transforming potential in human cells.
  • Anchorage independence as defined by the ability of cells to grow when suspended in semisolid medium, is a common phenotype acquired by human tumor cells, particularly those tumor cells of mesenchymal origin, such as fibrosarcomas. While assay (iii) has no in vivo readout, it offers an independent test of the critical issue of dCTG oncogenicity in human cells.
  • the oncogenicity assays are performed according to published protocols.
  • Assay (i) comprising dCTG transfection of NIH 3T3 cells followed by inoculation into nude mice, may be performed according to the protocol of Stevens et al , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1988), 85:3875-3879, including DNA transfection by the calcium phosphate coprecipitation method of Manohaven et al , Carcinogenesis (1985), 6: 1295-1301. Accordingly, NIH 3T3 cells (7.5 X 10 5 cells per 100-mm dish) are exposed to a calcium phosphate- DNA coprecipitate (40 ⁇ g of genomic DNA plus 3 ⁇ g of pSV2neo per dish) for 4 hours.
  • each dish is trypsinized and reseeded into a 175-c ⁇ r flask.
  • cultures are selected in G418 (400 ⁇ g/ml), and the flasks are then trypsinized and cells are replated in the same flask to disperse the G418 -resistant colonies into a diffuse lawn of cells.
  • the cells are harvested and washed with serum-free medium prior to injection.
  • One injection of 5 X 10 6 cells into the right flank and one injection of 1 X 10 7 cells into the left flank, each in a volume of 200 ⁇ l, are done on each nude mouse.
  • Injection sites are monitored at 3- or 4-day intervals for 100 days. The sites arc scored for the number of tumors induced per injection site.
  • Assay (iii) involves a test of the in vitro anchorage-dependent growth of dCTG-transfected human fibroblasts. The assay is carried out as described in Stevens et al , J. Cancer Res. and Clin. Oncol. 1989, 115: 118- 128. 1 x 10 s cells are seeded per 60-mm dish into 0.33% Noble agar over a 6-ml 0.5 % agar base layer in Hams FIO supplemented with 6% fetal bovine serum. A portion of the agar suspension is diluted with Hams FIO plus 6% fetal calf serum to 200 cells/5 ml to determine the cloning efficiency of these cells when seeded into plastic 60-mm dishes.
  • Agar dishes are fed with 1 ml Hams FIO supplemented with 6% fetal bovine serum on the 1st and 15th day after seeding.
  • all agar colonies >75 ⁇ m in diameter are counted and the colony counts are normalized to the plating efficiencies which aliquots of the initially seeded cells showed on plastic.
  • This comparison, or normalization, of the agar colony counts to the plastic dish colony counts is useful in identifying and correcting for any mechanical artifacts which might result from the seeding into agar of dead cells that had persisted from the initial transfection treatment or from heat-induced cell death, which might have occurred while suspending cells in molten agar during the process of seeding the agar dishes.
  • the following is a partial list of various deletions which, based upon published accounts of experiments with human or animal cells, are believed to render the identified CTG non-tumorigenic.
  • a dCTG The engineering of vectors for expression of a particular CTG, preferably a dCTG, is based on standard methods of recombinant DNA technology, i. e. insertion of the dCTG via the polylinker of standard or commercially available expression vectors.
  • the dCTG is operably linked to a strong promoter.
  • a strong promoter is a promoter which achieves constitutively high expression of the dCTG in the transfected cells.
  • Each promoter should include all of the signals necessary for initiating transcription of the relevant downstream sequence.
  • the pBK- CMV vector contains the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early promoter.
  • CMV cytomegalovirus
  • dCTGs xenogenic with respect to a particular target proto-oncogene may be isolated by conventional nucleic acid probing techniques, given the availability of a highly homologous probe represented by the cognate retroviral oncogene and/or the human proto-oncogene itself.
  • the host cells which may be transfected to derive the cellular immunogens of the present invention must express class I MHC and be susceptible to isolation and culture.
  • Fibroblasts express class I MHC and may be cultured. Accordingly, punch biopsies of host human skin are performed to harvest fibroblasts. Punch biopsies can be performed by a competent physician as a standard clinical procedure. Each biopsy yields a starting population of 1-2 X 10 7 cells that would proliferate in culture. Methods for the preparation of tissue cultures of human fibroblasts are well developed and widely used. See, Cristofalo and Carpenter, J. Tissue Culture Methods (1980), 6: 117-121, the entire disclosure of which is inco ⁇ orated herein by reference.
  • skin obtained by punch biopsy is washed using an appropriate wash medium, finely minced and cultured in a suitable culture medium, such as Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), under CO 2 at 37°C.
  • DMEM Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium
  • the cells are trypsinized with a trypsin solution and transferred to a larger vessel and incubated at 37 °C in culture fluid.
  • the expression vector carrying the dCTG is used to transfect biopsied host cells according to conventional transfection methods.
  • One method of transfection involves the addition of DEAE-dextran to increase the uptake of the naked DNA molecules by a recipient cell. See McCutchin and Pagano, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. (1968) 41 :351-7.
  • Another method of transfection is the calcium phosphate precipitation technique which depends upon the addition of Ca + + to a phosphate-containing DNA solution. The resulting precipitate apparently includes DNA in association with calcium phosphate crystals. These crystals settle onto a cell monolayer; the resulting apposition of crystals and cell surface appears to lead to uptake of the DNA.
  • transfection is carried out by cationic phospholipid- mediated delivery.
  • polycationic liposomes can be formed from N-[l-(2,3-dioleyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (DOTMA) or related liposome-forming materials.
  • DOTMA N-[l-(2,3-dioleyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride
  • DOTMA N-[l-(2,3-dioleyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride
  • DOTMA N-[l-(2,3-dioleyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride
  • transient expression is its rapidity, i.e. there is no requirement for cellular proliferation to select for stable integration events. This rapidity could conceivably be of major clinical importance, in cases of an already metastatic tumor burden, wherein the weeks required for selection of stable transfectants may simply not be available to the clinician.
  • transient transfection There are, nonetheless, two general disadvantages to the use of transient transfection.
  • the first is that expression usually peters out after a few days, in contrast to the continual expression in the case of stable transfection. This is not particularly crippling in terms of our immunization protocol.
  • the inoculated, irradiated cells used for immunization would likely not survive in vivo for more than 4 or 5 days, in any case.
  • the nominal advantage accruing to stable transfection that of a long-duration expression by the progeny of the parental inoculated cell, is not of particular relevance in the case of the immunizing regime described herein, which is based on the use of non-dividing, probably short-lived cells.
  • transient transfection resides in the fact that it yields a cell population, only a subset of which has actually been transfected and thus expresses the protein encoded by the transgene.
  • This problem is obviated in the case of stable transfection, wherein over time one can develop a pure population of transfectants via selection for a resistance marker, such as neo, under conditions of clonal proliferation of the initial stable transfectants, i.e. daughter cells of transiently transfected cells lack the transgene, in contrast to the case with stable transfectants.
  • the percentage of cells exhibiting dCTG expression may be determined by an immunohistology assay.
  • an immunohistology assay In this procedure, a small number of cells ( ⁇ 500) from the harvested pellet following centrifugation of transfected cells are deposited on a cover slip and fixed with cold acetone.
  • a standard immunohistological assay is carried out with the cells on the cover slip, i.e. addition of a primary monoclonal antibody reactive to the dCTG- encoded protein, followed by the addition of a developing antibody, e.g. a fluorescent tagged antibody reactive to the primary monoclonal antibody.
  • Measurement of the percentage of cells scoring as dCTG-positive in the fluorescent assay allows a determination of the number of positive transfectants in the starting culture, and thus the number of total cells to be used for immunization to arrive at the desired number of dCTG-positive cells to be inoculated in the patient.
  • the percentage of cells scoring as dCTG-positive is less than one hundred percent, one can simply increase the number of cells to be used for immunization, so as to include the desired number of transfectants.
  • the non-transfected cells in the immunizing population would simply represent x-irradiated, autologous fibroblasts that would constitute no danger to the patient.
  • the transfected cells Prior to return to the host, the transfected cells are preferably irradiated.
  • the transfectants are irradiated with a radiation dose sufficient to render them non-dividing, such as a dose of 25 By or 2500R.
  • the cells are then counted by trypan blue exclusion, and about 2 X 10 7 irradiated transfectants are resuspended in a volume of 0.2-0.4 ml of Hanks Balanced Salt Solution.
  • the transfected cells are returned to the host to achieve vaccination.
  • the cells may be reimplanted at the same body site from which they were originally harvested, or may be restored to a different site.
  • the inoculation schedule may be monitored by a delayed hypersensitivity reaction administered to the patient. A course of about up to 10 inoculations, at 2-3 week intervals, may be utilized. It may be appreciated that the inoculation schedule may be modified in view of the immunologic response of the individual patient, as determined with resort to the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction.
  • DTH delayed-type hypersensitivity
  • HBSS Hanks buffered saline solution
  • One advantage to the DTH assay is that it can independently assess the induction of T cell reactivity to (i) the transfectants used for immunization (i.e. the set of 5 or more dCTGs chosen for immunization purposes, each containing non-self determinants) and (ii) transfectants, as transfected with the human dCTG itself containing only self determinants.
  • the induction of reactivity to the transfectants used for immunization establishes that the immunizing transfectants are in fact immunogenic, that is, the patient has not exhibiting a much weakened capacity for immune response.
  • the patient is demonstrably capable of response to the immunizing transfectants, then skin testing with the dCTG (human) transfectants would establish whether or not reactivity to the human proto-oncogene encoded product had been induced.
  • inoculation of the immunizing transfectants would continue for at least as long as the induction of reactivity to the human proto-oncogene-encoded protein occurs.
  • the oncogene c-src(527) is an activated form of chicken c-src. Its protein product pp60 c src(527) differs from the protein product of c-src, pp60 ⁇ src , by only a single amino acid substitution, phenylalanine for tyrosine at residue 527 (K iecik and Shalloway, (1987) Cell 49, 65-73). This substitution eliminates the negative regulatory influence exerted on pp60 c src phosphokinase activity by the enzymatic phosphorylation of the position 527 tyrosine.
  • the protein product of v-src, pp60 v src shows a number of sequence differences with pp60 c src (Takeya and Hanafusa, (1983) Cell 32, 881-890), including scattered single amino acid substitutions within the first 514 residues and a novel C terminus of 12 amino acids (residues 515-526), in place of the nineteen C terminal amino acids of pp60 c src (residues 515-533). Both the v-src-positive plasmid, pMvsrc.
  • the pVSRC-Cl plasmid was prepared as described by Halpern et al. , (1991) Virology 180, 857-86. Essentially, the plasmid was derived from the pRL v -src plasmid (Halpern et al , (1990) Virology 175, 328-331) by subcloning the v-src(+) Xhol-EcoR ⁇ fragment of the latter into the multiple cloning sequence of pSP65 (Melton et al. , (1984) Nucleic Acids Res.
  • This insert included the v-src oncogene of the subgroup A strain of Prague RSV, as flanked downstream by a portion of the long terminal repeat (LTR) of RSV (from the 5' start of the LTR, to the single EcoRl site).
  • LTR long terminal repeat
  • the pMvsrc plasmid was generously provided by Dr. David Shalloway, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • the plasmid is prepared according to lohnson et al , (1985) Mol. Cell Biol. 5, 1073-1083. Briefly, the 3.1-kb BamHl-Bg/ll Schmidt Ruppin A v-src fragment from plasmid pN4 (Iba et al. , (1984) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.
  • the pMvsrc plasmid was restricted with Nhel, so as to liberate a tumorigenic fragment.
  • the fragment included the v-src oncogene of the subgroup A strain of Schmidt-Ruppin RSV, as flanked upstream by most of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) LTR (from the Nhel site near the 5' start of the LTR, to the 3 ' end of this LTR) and downstream by a small portion of the MoMLV LTR (from the 5' start to the Nhel site).
  • MoMLV Moloney murine leukemia virus
  • pcsrc527 The pcsrc527 plasmid is prepared according to Kmiecik and
  • a plasmid is constructed by cleaving expression vector pEVX (Kriegler et al , (1984) Cell 38,483-491 at its unique Bglll site lying between two MoMLV LTRs and inserting the 3.2 kilobase (kb) pair BamHl-Bglll hybrid src fragment from plasmid pHB5 in the proper orientation.
  • This fragment contains sequences from pBR322, the SRA env 3' region, SRA v-src, src from recovered ASV, and chicken c-src.
  • the Bglll site is generated by insertion of a linker at the SacI site about 20 bp downstream from the c-src termination codon.
  • the restriction map of pMHB5 contains the MoMLV splice donor about 60 bp downstream from the 3 'end of the upstream LTR and the v-src splice acceptor about 75 bp upstream from the src ATG.
  • Plasmid pMHB5527 is constructed by inserting the synthetic double-stranded DNA oligomer
  • Equimolar amounts of the double-stranded oligomer and three gel-purified tandem restriction fragments from pMHB5 are ligated in one reaction, which contains the following: the oligomer with Ban ⁇ l and Bglll complementary ends, the 3 kb i3gIII-.BgII (Bgll in the pEVX ampicillin resistance gene) partial digest fragment, the adjacent 6.1 kb Bgll-Bg ⁇ (downstream Bg/7 in c-src) fragment, and the 0.38 kb Bgll-Banll (Ban ⁇ l at c-src codon 524) fragment.
  • Plasmid pcsrc527 is constructed by replacing the 2 kb Sa ⁇ (in env)-Mlul (in c-src) fragment in plasmid pMHB5527, with the homologous fragment from plasmid p5H.
  • This fragment contains the coding sequence for the c-src amino region (codons 1 to 257) that have been isolated by molecular cloning of a c-src provirus and previously shown by sequencing to contain authentic c-src sequence without the mutation at codon 63 (Levy et al , (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83, 4228-4232).
  • Equimolar amounts of complementary gel-purified Sal -Mlu fragments from p5H and the other plasmids are ligated.
  • the pcsrc527 plasmid was restricted with N ⁇ el, so as to liberate a tumorigenic fragment.
  • the tumorigenic fragment included the c-src(527) oncogene, as flanked by the same LTR complement as in pM vsrc.
  • Tumors were induced by subcutaneous inoculation in the wing web of a src-positive plasmid according to the technique described by Fung et al. (1983) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 80, 353-357 and Halpern et al , (1990) Virology 175, 328-331. Of the three tumorigenic plasmids utilized here, all were adjusted, prior to inoculation, to a concentration of 100 ⁇ g of enzyme- restricted DNA per 100 ⁇ l of phosphate-buffered saline. The conditions of inoculation used for particular experiments (age of chicken at time of inoculation, amount of plasmid, etc.) are indicated below.
  • IB line SC
  • the ratios at each time point show, for a particular group, the number of chickens bearing palpable tumors to the total number of survivors to that point (standard typeface for pcsrc527, italics for pVSRC-Cl , bold typeface for pM Vsrc). Error bars (unless obscured by the symbol) indicate standard error.
  • TK chickens was determined under conditions of (i) priming and homologous challenge with pcsrc527, or (ii) priming and homologous challenge with pVSRC-Cl.
  • Test chickens were primed at 1 day posthatch with 100 Ig of construct; test and control chickens were challenged at five weeks posthatch with 200 Ig of construct.
  • the mean challenge tumor diameter was computed as described in the preceding section. At each time point the ratio of chickens bearing palpable challenge tumors to total number of survivors to that point is indicated for priming and homologous challenge with pcsrc527 (Fig. 2A) and priming and homologous challenge with pVSRC-Cl (Fig. 2B) (standard typeface for control group, bold typeface for test group).
  • the statistical comparison between the mean challenge tumor diameters of the test versus the control group at a particular time point was made using a two-tailed student's t test, *(p ⁇ 0.05), **(p ⁇ 0.01), ***(p ⁇ 0.001).
  • the statistical comparison between the ratios of chickens bearing palpable challenge tumors to total number of survivors of the test versus the control group at a particular time point was made using a chi-squared test; the paired ratios are underlined for only those time points where p ⁇ 0.05. Error bars indicate standard error.
  • TK chickens was determined under conditions of (i) priming with pVSRC-Cl and heterologous challenge with pcsrc527, or (ii) priming with pcsrc527 and heterologous challenge with pVSRC-Cl.
  • Test chickens were primed at 1 day posthatch with 100 ⁇ g of construct; test and control chickens were challenged at five weeks posthatch with 200 ⁇ g of construct.
  • the mean challenge tumor diameter was computed as described in Section E. At each time point the ratio of chickens bearing palpable challenge tumors to total number of survivors to that point is indicated for priming with pVSRC-Cl and heterologous challenge with pcsrc527 (Fig.
  • v-src but not c-src(527), gives rise to primary tumors whose growth patterns differ in the two lines analyzed here. Only minimal protection against homologous challenge was observed under conditions of priming to c-src(527) DNA, indicative of the induction of a relatively weak tumor immune response (Fig. 2A; a statistically significant lowering of challenge tumor growth in the test versus the control chickens was observed at only one time point). By contrast, the v-src DNA- primed chickens showed excellent protection against the homologous tumor challenge (Fig. 2B).
  • the following is a representative vaccination protocol according to the present invention.
  • a punch biopsy of skin is obtained by a trained physician following standard medical practice.
  • the skin obtained by punch biopsy is put in a tube with 10 ml of the following wash medium: Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), containing sodium bicarbonate (30 ml/liter of a 5.6% solution) and penicillin/streptomycin (2 ml/liter of a pen-strep stock solution containing 5000 units penicillin and 5000 ⁇ g of streptomycin/ml, pH 7.2-7.4.).
  • DMEM Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium
  • penicillin/streptomycin 2 ml/liter of a pen-strep stock solution containing 5000 units penicillin and 5000 ⁇ g of streptomycin/ml, pH 7.2-7.4.
  • the biopsy is then finely minced with two scalpels, and 2-4 pieces ( ⁇ 1 mm 3 ) of the minced biopsied are placed in the middle part of one or more T25 flasks.
  • the flask is placed in a tissue culture incubator at 37 °C for one half hour with the cap firmly closed, then opened for 10 minutes.
  • the following culture medium is prepared: DMEM containing sodium bicarbonate; antibiotics; and 10% fetal calf serum containing 2.5 ⁇ g/ml fungizone, 40 ⁇ g/ml gentamicin, and 1 % glutamine( 3 % W/V).
  • trypsin solution 0.05/0.02% trypsin in PBS, without Ca + + or Mg+ +
  • 2 ml of culture fluid is added to stop the action of the trypsin.
  • the cells are then transferred to a larger flask (T75) and incubated at 37°C in 15 ml of culture fluid, which is changed every 2 days.
  • the fibroblasts (2 X 10 5 cells) are washed twice in DMEM without serum or antibiotics.
  • a LipofectAMINETM-DNA solution is prepared by mixing in tube #1 mix 400 ⁇ l DMEM and 10 ⁇ l of dCTG vector DNA (l ⁇ g/ul).
  • 400 ⁇ l DMEM and 25 Ml of LipofectAMINE Reagent (Life Technologies, cat. no. 18324-012) are mixed.
  • the contents of tube #1 and #2 are mixed together and are then left sitting at room temperature for 30 hours.
  • 3.2 ml of the LipofectAMINETM-DNA solution is added to the cells.
  • the cells are incubated for six hours at 37°C, washed once with Hank's Balanced Salt Solution, and then refed with growth medium and incubated for an additional 24 hours at 37 °C
  • Transfectants are irradiated to a dose of 25 By or 2500R. the cells are then counted by trypan blue exclusion. 2 X 10 7 irradiated transfectants are resuspended in a volume of 0.2-0.4 ml of Hanks Balanced Salt Solution.
  • DTH delayed type hypersensitivity
  • v-myc retroviral oncogene of avian myelocytomatosis virus MC29 was obtained from the American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, MD, 20852, as the pSVv-myc vector (ATCC No. 45014).
  • the v-myc-positive EcoR -Kpnl fragment of pSVv- myc was ligated into the polylinker sites of the pBK-CMV plasmid (Stratagene Cloning Systems, La Jolla, CA).
  • Stable transfection using the pBK-CMV-v-myc vector was carried out on a line of A31 fibroblasts (Balb/c origin), obtained from the ATCC. 2 X 10 s cells were seeded in a 100 mm/dish and allowed to grow for 18-20 h (RPMI 1640 medium and 10% fetal bovine serum), at which time the cells reached 50-70% confluence. The cells were then washed twice in Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium (without serum or antibiotics). A LipofectAMINETM- DNA solution was prepared according to Example 2.C. , with the pBK-CMV-v- myc vector DNA, and 3.2 ml of the LipofectAMINETM-DNA solution added to the cells.
  • the cells were then incubated for 6 hours at 37°C, washed once with Hank's Balanced Salt Solution, and then refed with the growth medium and incubated for an additional 24 hour at 37°C. Thereafter, the cells were fed once every two days with growth medium containing 250 ⁇ g/ml geneticin (G418; Gibco BRL cat. no. 11811) as the selective marker. Within two weeks, colonies were picked and expanded into permanent cell lines. The cells were then washed and collected by centrifugation.
  • G418 Gibco BRL cat. no. 11811
  • ADDRESSEE Seidel, Gonda, Lavorgna & Monaco, P.C.
  • CAGCGGGCCC CAGGCGAGGA CCCCATGGAC TACAAGTGTGTG GCTCCCCCAG TGACTCCTCC 480
  • CTCCTCCTCG CCCTCTTGCC CCCCGGAGCC GCGAGCACCC AAGTGTGCAC CGGCACAGAC 240
  • CTGGAGTCCA TTCTCCGCCG
  • GCGGTTCACC CACCAGAGTG ATGTGTGGAG TTATGGTGTG 2880
  • TTCTGTCCAG ACCCTGCCCC GGGCGCTGGG GGCATGGTCC ACCACAGGCA CCGCAGCTCA 3300
  • AAAGATAAAG GGGAAATCTC TGAGAAAGCC AAACTGGAAA ACTCAACACA AGCTGAAGAG 480 GGCTTTGATG TTCCTGATTG TAAAAAAACT ATAGTGAATG ATTCCAGAGA GTCATGTGTT 540
  • TTATTTCCCC TAGTTGACCT GTCTATAAGA GAATTATATA TTTCTAACTA TATAACCCTA 300
  • GGAATTTAG 309 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:10:
  • GTAACTCCTC TTTCTTCGGA CCTTCTGCAG CCAACCTGAA AGAATAACAA GGAGGTGGCT 240
  • GGCAAATTGT TTTCCTCACC GCCACCTCCC GCGGCTTCTT AAGGGCGCCA GGGCCGATTT 4200
  • GGGAGCTCAT CACCTCTGAA ACCTTGGGCT TTAGCGTTTC CTCCCATCCC TTCCCCTTAG 5460
  • GAACTATCTA CAAAAATGAG GGGCTGTGTT TAGAGGCTAG GCAGGGCCTG CCTGAGTGCG 5760
  • AAGAGGCATA AGGACTGGGG AGTTGGGAGG AAGGTGAGGA AGAAACTCCT GTTACTTTAG 8040
  • CTCCCCCCGC AGCCCTGGAA GACGTTCCAA GGGTGTCTGG AGCCCGGTTC TTTGGGGCTC 900
  • GGTATACACT GCAGGATTTA CTTAAGGAGG CAGAAAGAAT TTATAACAAG AGAGAGACAC 2940
  • CTATCAACTA AGGGATGGAC AGCGATGGCT GACTCCGGCT AGGAAACAGA CCGTGGCCAA 4440
  • CAAGTTAACA ACTGTGTGTC CAACTGTGAA ACCTCAGATT CAAGGTCTAG CAAAAGATGC 960

Abstract

Un immunogène cellulaire est destiné à immuniser un hôte contre les effets du produit d'un proto-oncogène cible, la surexpression du proto-oncogène cible étant associée à une malignité. L'immunogène cellulaire comprend des cellules hôtes ayant été transfectées avec au moins un transgène reconstruit comprenant un transgène parent du proto-oncogène cible et un promoteur puissant destiné à entraîner l'expression du transgène dans les cellules transfectées. Le transgène code un produit génique induisant l'immuno-réactivité de l'hôte chez des auto-déterminants de l'hôte du produit du gène du proto-oncogène cible. Le transgène peut comprendre, par exemple, un ADN d'oncogène rétroviral mutant ou de type sauvage parent du proto-oncogène cible, ou un ADN de proto-oncogène mutant ou de type sauvage d'une espèce différente des deux espèces d'hôtes. L'immunogène cellulaire peut être préparé à partir de cellules hôtes biopsiées, par exemple des fibroblastes de la peau, lesquelles sont transfectées de manière stable ou transitoire avec le transgène reconstruit contenant le transgène parent. Les cellules hôtes transfectées avec le transgène reconstruit parent sont ensuite renvoyées dans le corps de l'hôte afin d'obtenir une expression dudit transgène parent chez l'hôte.
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AU4981999A (en) * 1998-07-24 2000-02-14 Allegheny University Of The Health Sciences Allogeneic cellular immunogens useful as cancer vaccines
EP1250145A4 (fr) * 2000-01-03 2003-03-26 Argonex Pharmaceuticals Inc Peptides derives d'oncogene c-ski pour la prevention, le traitement et le diagnostic du cancer
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