Generation of a human leukocyte antigen-A24–restricted antitumor cell with the use of SART-1 peptide and dendritic cells in patients with malignant brain tumors

Glioma-specific antigens for immune tumor therapy

This review describes glioma-specific antigens important in immunotherapy of glioma tumors. The structure and function of these antigens and recent immunotherapy data are summarized. Also, some important aspects of tumor formation are outlined. The roles of neuronal precursor cells and tumor stroma cells are discussed. The stroma cells of the tumor may be of interest as a target for tumor therapy, especially since they are less heterogeneous than the tumor cells. To date, the clinical benefit of immunotherapy has been very limited. Immunotherapy is, however, still an extremely promising approach to tumor therapy and it will most likely be implemented as a future treatment option for many types of tumors. The current shortcomings of immunotherapy will probably diminish as we start to understand and are able to modulate tumor-induced immunosuppression. There is also a need for a continued search for new tumor-specific antigens and to optimize protocols for vaccine administration.

Expression of SART-1 mRNA in canine squamous cell carcinomas

SART-1, a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes, has been useful in human cancer therapy. The SART-1(259) peptide is a potential candidate for vaccine. The present study examined an orthologue of the mRNA coding this peptide in canine SCCs. Specimens were obtained from seven canine patients with SCC, and the mRNA was isolated from the samples. The SART-1 and beta-actin genes were amplified by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, using the isolated mRNA as a template. Canine SART-1 was amplified in six of the seven specimens, while beta-actin was detected in all the samples. In dogs, carcinomas expressing SART-1 could be a target for cytotoxic T lymphocyte mediated immunotherapy.

Dendritic cell-based active specific immunotherapy for malignant glioma

Immunotherapy is an appealing therapeutic modality for malignant gliomas because of its potential to selectively target residual tumor cells that have invaded the normal brain. Most immunotherapeutic studies are designed to exploit the capacity of dendritic cells for inducing cell-mediated effects as well as immune memory responses for destroying residual tumor cells and preventing recurrence. Although initial clinical studies on dendritic cell-based immunotherapy resulted in very limited success, they have prompted many new studies on exploring strategies to induce a more robust antitumor immune response by using novel adjuvants for maturation and activation of dendritic cells. More studies have focused on the mechanisms of immune suppression by tumor cells and the role of regulatory T cells in tumor growth and progression. In this article, the authors review the evolution of dendritic cell-based immunotherapeutic strategies for adjuvant treatment of malignant gliomas. The authors also discuss how new knowledge on tumor-intrinsic mechanisms of tolerance induction and immunosuppression are likely to shape the future of immunotherapy for high-grade gliomas.