Abstract
The GD2 ganglioside expressed on neuroectodermal tumor cells is weakly immunogenic in tumor-bearing patients and induces predominantly IgM antibody responses in the immunized host. Using a syngeneic mouse challenge model with GD2-expressing NXS2 neuroblastoma, we investigated novel strategies for augmenting the effector function of GD2-specific antibody responses induced by a mimotope vaccine. We demonstrated that immunization of A/J mice with DNA vaccine expressing the 47-LDA mimotope of GD2 in combination with IL-15 and IL-21 genes enhanced the induction of GD2 cross-reactive IgG2 antibody responses that exhibited cytolytic activity against NXS2 cells. The combined immunization regimen delivered 1 day after tumor challenge inhibited subcutaneous (s.c.) growth of NXS2 neuroblastoma in A/J mice. The vaccine efficacy was reduced after depletion of NK cells as well as CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes suggesting involvement of innate and adaptive immune responses in mediating the antitumor activity in vivo. CD8+ T cells isolated from the immunized and cured mice were cytotoxic against syngeneic neuroblastoma cells but not against allogeneic EL4 lymphoma, and exhibited antitumor activity after adoptive transfer in NXS2-challenged mice. We also demonstrated that coimmunization of NXS2-challenged mice with the IL-15 and IL-21 gene combination resulted in enhanced CD8+ T cell function that was partially independent of CD4+ T cell help in inhibiting tumor growth. This study is the first demonstration that the mimotope vaccine of a weakly immunogenic carbohydrate antigen in combination with plasmid-derived IL-15 and IL-21 cytokines induces both innate and adaptive arms of the immune system leading to the generation of effective protection against neuroblastoma challenge.
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Abbreviations
- γc :
-
Common γ receptor chain
- i.p.:
-
Intraperitoneal
- i.v.:
-
Intravenous
- s.c.:
-
Subcutaneous
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We are grateful to Drs. R. Reisfeld and P. Shrikant for reagents. We also thank Earl Timm for help with flow cytometric analyses and Michelle Detwiler for DNA sequencing.
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This work was supported by the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, funds to commemorate Dr. Goro Chihara’s research activity, and by a research grant R21 AI060375 from the National Institutes of Health.
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Kowalczyk, A., Wierzbicki, A., Gil, M. et al. Induction of protective immune responses against NXS2 neuroblastoma challenge in mice by immunotherapy with GD2 mimotope vaccine and IL-15 and IL-21 gene delivery. Cancer Immunol Immunother 56, 1443–1458 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-007-0289-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-007-0289-0