HLA-A2-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes from human heparanase as novel targets for broad-spectrum tumor immunotherapy.

ABSTRACT: Peptide vaccination for cancer immunotherapy requires identification of peptide epitopes derived from antigenic proteins associated with tumors. Heparanase (Hpa) is broadly expressed in various advanced tumors and seems to be an attractive new tumor-associated antigen. The present study was designed to predict and identify HLA-A2-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes in the protein of human Hpa. For this purpose, HLA-A2-restricted CTL epitopes were identified using the following four-step procedure: 1) a computer-based epitope prediction from the amino acid sequence of human Hpa, 2) a peptide-binding assay to determine the affinity of the predicted protein with the HLA-A2 molecule, 3) stimulation of the primary T-cell response against the predicted peptides in vitro, and 4) test

SUBMITTER: Chen T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2517643 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature