Vaccination with cancer- and HIV infection-associated endogenous retrotransposable elements is safe and immunogenic.

ABSTRACT: The expression of endogenous retrotransposable elements, including long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1 or L1) and human endogenous retrovirus, accompanies neoplastic transformation and infection with viruses such as HIV. The ability to engender immunity safely against such self-antigens would facilitate the development of novel vaccines and immunotherapies. In this article, we address the safety and immunogenicity of vaccination with these elements. We used immunohistochemical analysis and literature precedent to identify potential off-target tissues in humans and establish their translatability in preclinical species to guide safety assessments. Immunization of mice with murine L1 open reading frame 2 induced strong CD8 T cell responses without detectable tissue damage. Similarly,

SUBMITTER: Sacha JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3401319 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature