A safety-modified SV40 Tag developed for human cancer immunotherapy.

Simian virus 40 (SV40)-like DNA sequences have been found in a variety of human tumors, raising the possibility that strategies targeting SV40 may provide a potential avenue for immunotherapy directed against SV40 large T Antigen (Tag)-expressing tumors. We generated a recombinant vaccinia (vac-mTag) expressing mTag and herein assessed the ability of mTag to transform cells and to interact with anti-oncoproteins, as well as screened for the presence of potential HLA-A2.1-restricted epitopes within mTag. We found that transfection of cells with mTag did not lead to their transformation. Also, we demonstrated that mTag protein is degraded rapidly in cells. In addition, our work revealed that mTag did not physically interact with certain anti-oncoproteins. Finally, two potential HLA-A2.1-restricted functional epitopes within mTag sequence were identified. Our results show that mTag lacks the oncogenicity of full-length Tag and harbors potential HLA-A2.1-restricted immunogenic epitopes, hence suggesting the safety of vac-mTag for use in cancer immunotherapy.

Fas-mediated T cell deletion potentiates tumor antigen-specific tolerance in a mouse model of prostate cancer.

A pivotal obstacle to cancer immunotherapy is peripheral T cell tolerance to tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Tolerance induction among mature T cells in the periphery operates through a variety of mechanisms, including anergy and apoptosis. Although Fas-FasL-mediated apoptosis is a well-defined tolerance inducing mechanism, direct evidence of its interference with TAA-specific immunity in vivo is still lacking. In this report, we used the TRAMP mouse, which expresses SV40 large T antigen (Tag) preferentially in the prostate and develops prostate tumors, as a model system to address the role of Fas-mediated apoptosis in regulating peripheral T cell tolerance. Using RT-PCR and tetramer staining to quantify TAA-specific TCR-expressing cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTLs), we have shown the presence of TAA-specific CTLs at higher levels in TRAMP mice than in syngeneic C57Bl/6 mice. Tag-specific immunization led to the expansion of Tag-specific CTLs in C57Bl/6 mice, and to their elimination in TRAMP mice. Interestingly, in TRAMP mice with deficient Fas (Hybrid TRAMP-lpr/lpr), Tag-specific CTL elimination in response to Tag immunization did not take place. The results of cytolytic-function assays were consistent with induction and elimination patterns of TAA-specific CTLs and those of RT-PCR and tetramer staining. In conclusion, our data show that Fas-mediated TAA-specific CTL apoptosis contributes to T cell tolerance and suggest that such tolerance could be potentiated following TAA-specific immunization.

Partially circumventing peripheral tolerance for oncogene-specific prostate cancer immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Failure of cancer immunotherapy is essentially due to immunological tolerance to tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), as these antigens are also expressed in healthy tissues. METHODS: Here, we used transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice, which develop lethal prostate cancer due to prostate-specific expression of SV40 T antigen (Tag), to evaluate effects of prostatic transformation on oncogene TAA-specific tolerance and to test the possibility of breaking such tolerance using a modified recombinant vaccinia virus. RESULTS: We showed that Tag expression in TRAMP mice is uniquely extra-thymic, and levels of prostatic Tag expression positively correlate with malignant transformation of the prostate. Yet, young tumor-free TRAMP mice were tolerant to Tag antigen. We therefore attempted overcoming such peripheral oncogene-specific T cell tolerance through immunization with a vaccinia construct encoding Tag immunogenic epitopes. This vaccination modality showed that oncogene-specific tolerance was successfully overcome by effective in vivo priming of Tag-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTLs). However, this was restricted to young TRAMP mice. Tag-specific CTL from "tumor naïve" young TRAMP mice showed significant anti-tumor efficacy in vivo by eliminating established heterotopic prostate tumors and prolonging survival in SCID mice harboring Tag-expressing tumors. In contrast, older TRAMP mice with established prostate tumors exhibited oncogene-specific tolerance as evidenced by failure to generate Tag-specific CTL following Tag-specific immunization. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral tolerance can be overcome for effective anti-tumor therapy following oncogene-specific immunization. However, this ability to elicit oncogene-specific CTL is impeded in the tumor-bearing host, in the context of increased oncogene expression associated with tumor progression.

Antigen-specific tumor vaccine efficacy in vivo against prostate cancer with low class I MHC requires competent class II MHC.

BACKGROUND: Cancers can escape immune recognition by means of evading class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) -mediated recognition by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. However, immunization strategies targeting defined tumor-associated antigens have not been extensively characterized in murine prostate cancer models. Therefore, we evaluated antigen-specific, antitumor immunity after antigen-encoding vaccinia immunization against mouse prostate cancer cells expressing a model tumor-associated antigen (beta-galactosidase) and exhibiting partially deficient class I MHC. METHODS AND RESULTS: Low class I MHC expression in beta-galactosidase-expressing D7RM-1 prostate cancer cells was shown by fluorescence activated cell sorting, and deficient class I MHC-mediated antigen presentation was shown in resistance of D7RM-1 to cytolysis by beta-galactosidase-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Despite partially deficient class I MHC presenting function, immunization with vaccinia encoding beta-galactosidase conferred antigen-specific protection against D7RM-1 cancer. Antigen-specific immunity was recapitulated in beta(2)m knockout mice (with deficient class I MHC and CTL function), confirming that class I MHC antigen presentation was not required for immunity against tumor partially deficient in class I MHC. Conversely, antigen-specific antitumor immunity was abrogated in A(b)beta knockout mice (with deficient class II MHC and helper T cell function), demonstrating a requirement for functional class II MHC. Resistant tumors from the otherwise effectively immunized beta(2)m knockout mice (among which tumor progression had been reduced or delayed) showed reduced target antigen expression, corroborating antigen-specificity (and showing an alternative immune escape mechanism), whereas antigen expression (like tumor growth) was unaffected among A(b)beta knockout mice. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that class I MHC-restricted antigen presentation and CTL activity is neither necessary nor sufficient for antigen-encoding vaccinia immunization to induce protective immunity against class I MHC-low tumors, whereas host class II MHC-mediated antigen presentation facilitates antigen-specific immunity against prostate cancer in vivo. Reduced expression of the target antigen developed rapidly in vivo as an immune escape mechanism for such cancers.