Amino acid identity and/or position determines the proteasomal cleavage of the HLA-A*0201-restricted peptide tumor antigen MAGE-3271-279

Identification of two novel HLA-A*0201-restricted CTL epitopes derived from MAGE-A4

MAGE-A antigens belong to cancer/testis (CT) antigens that are expressed in tumors but not in normal tissues except testis and placenta. MAGE-A antigens and their epitope peptides have been used in tumor immunotherapy trials. MAGE-A4 antigen is extensively expressed in various histological types of tumors, so it represents an attractive target for tumor immunotherapy. In this study, we predicted HLA-A*0201-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes of MAGE-A4, followed by peptide/HLA-A*0201 affinity and complex stability assays. Of selected four peptides (designated P1, P2, P3, and P4), P1 (MAGE-A4_286-294, KVLEHVVRV) and P3 (MAGE-A4_272-280, FLWGPRALA) could elicit peptide-specific CTLs both in vitro from HLA-A*0201-positive PBMCs and in HLA-A*0201/K^b transgenic mice. And the induced CTLs could lyse target cells in an HLA-A*0201-restricted fashion, demonstrating that the two peptides are HLA-A*0201-restricted CTL epitopes and could serve as targets for therapeutic antitumoral vaccination.

A TCR targeting the HLA-A*0201-restricted epitope of MAGE-A3 recognizes multiple epitopes of the MAGE-A antigen superfamily in several types of cancer

Adoptive immunotherapy using TCR-engineered PBLs against melanocyte differentiation Ags mediates objective tumor regression but is associated with on-target toxicity. To avoid toxicity to normal tissues, we targeted cancer testis Ag (CTA) MAGE-A3, which is widely expressed in a range of epithelial malignancies but is not expressed in most normal tissues. To generate high-avidity TCRs against MAGE-A3, we employed a transgenic mouse model that expresses the human HLA-A*0201 molecule. Mice were immunized with two HLA-A*0201-restricted peptides of MAGE-A3: 112-120 (KVAELVHFL) or MAGE-A3: 271-279 (FLWGPRALV), and T cell clones were generated. MAGE-A3-specific TCR α- and β-chains were isolated and cloned into a retroviral vector. Expression of both TCRs in human PBLs demonstrated Ag-specific reactivity against a range of melanoma and nonmelanoma tumor cells. The TCR against MAGE-A3: 112-120 was selected for further development based on superior reactivity against tumor target cells. Interestingly, peptide epitopes from MAGE-A3 and MAGE-A12 (and to a lesser extent, peptides from MAGE-A2 and MAGE-A6) were recognized by PBLs engineered to express this TCR. To further improve TCR function, single amino acid variants of the CDR3 α-chain were generated. Substitution of alanine to threonine at position 118 of the α-chain in the CDR3 region of the TCR improved its functional avidity in CD4 and CD8 cells. On the basis of these results, a clinical trial is planned in which patients bearing a variety of tumor histologies will receive autologous PBLs that have been transduced with this optimized anti-MAGE-A3 TCR.

The use of filamentous bacteriophage fd to deliver MAGE-A10 or MAGE-A3 HLA-A2-restricted peptides and to induce strong antitumor CTL responses

Delivery of tumor-associated Ag-derived peptides in a high immunogenic form represents one of the key issues for effective peptide-based cancer vaccine development. We report herein the ability of nonpathogenic filamentous bacteriophage fd virions to deliver HLA-A2-restricted MAGE-A10(254-262)- or MAGE-A3(271-279)-derived peptides and to elicit potent specific CTL responses in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, human anti-MAGE-A3(271-279)-specific CTLs were able to kill human MAGE-A3(+) tumor cells, even if these cells naturally express a low amount of MAGE-A3(271-279) peptide-HLA epitope surface complexes and are usually not recognized by CTLs generated by conventional stimulation procedures. MAGE-A3(271-279)-specific/CD8(+) CTL clones were isolated from in vitro cultures, and their high avidity for Ag recognition was assessed. Moreover, in vivo tumor protection assay showed that vaccination of humanized HHD (HLA-A2.1(+)/H2-D(b+)) transgenic mice with phage particles expressing MAGE-A3(271-279)-derived peptides hampered tumor growth. Overall, these data indicate that engineered filamentous bacteriophage virions increase substantially the immunogenicity of delivered tumor-associated Ag-derived peptides, thus representing a novel powerful system for the development of effective peptide-based cancer vaccines.

Vaccine-induced CD4+ T cell responses to MAGE-3 protein in lung cancer patients

MAGE-3 is the most commonly expressed cancer testis Ag and thus represents a prime target for cancer vaccines, despite infrequent natural occurrence of MAGE-3-specific immune responses in vivo. We report in this study the successful induction of Ab, CD8(+), and CD4(+) T cells in nonsmall cell lung cancer patients vaccinated with MAGE-3 recombinant protein. Two cohorts were analyzed: one receiving MAGE-3 protein alone, and one receiving MAGE-3 protein with adjuvant AS02B. Of nine patients in the first cohort, three developed marginal Ab titers and another one had a CD8(+) T cell response to HLA-A2-restricted peptide MAGE-3 271-279. In contrast, of eight patients from the second cohort vaccinated with MAGE-3 protein and adjuvant, seven developed high-titered Abs to MAGE-3, and four had a strong concomitant CD4(+) T cell response to HLA-DP4-restricted peptide 243-258. One patient simultaneously developed CD8(+) T cells to HLA-A1-restricted peptide 168-176. The novel monitoring methodology used in this MAGE-3 study establishes that protein vaccination induces clear CD4(+) T cell responses that correlate with Ab production. This development provides the framework for further evaluating integrated immune responses in vaccine settings and for optimizing these responses for clinical benefit.

Impacts of epitope expression kinetics and class I downregulation on the antiviral activity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

The determinants of CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) remain poorly defined. Although recent technological advances have markedly enhanced the ability to detect HIV-1-specific T cells, commonly used assays do not reveal their direct interaction with virus. We investigated two determinants of CTL antiviral efficiency by manipulating HIV-1 and measuring the effects on CTL suppression of viral replication in acutely infected cells. Translocation of a Gag epitope into the early protein Nef markedly increased the activity of CTL recognizing that epitope, in comparison to HIV-1 expressing the epitope normally in the late protein Gag. Because this epitope translocation resulted not only in earlier expression but also in loss of major histocompatibility complex class I downregulation by Nef, the activities of CTL against a panel of viral constructs differing in kinetics of epitope expression and class I downmodulation were compared. The results indicated that both the timing of epitope expression and the reduction of class I have profound effects on the ability of CTL to suppress HIV-1 replication in acutely infected cells. The epitope targeting of CTL and viral control of class I therefore likely play important roles in the ability of CTL to exert pressure on HIV-1.

Generation of CTL recognizing an HLA-A*0201-restricted epitope shared by MAGE-A1, -A2, -A3, -A4, -A6, -A10, and -A12 tumor antigens: implication in a broad-spectrum tumor immunotherapy

MAGE-A1, -A2, -A3, -A4, -A6, -A10, and -A12 are expressed in a significant proportion of primary and metastatic tumors of various histological types and are targets of tumor Ag-specific CTL. Individual MAGE-A expression varies from one tumor type to the other but, overall, the large majority of tumors expresses at least one MAGE-A Ag. Therefore, targeting epitopes shared by all MAGE-A Ags would be of interest in immunotherapy against a broad spectrum of cancers. In the present study, we describe a heteroclitic MAGE-A peptide (p248V9) that induces CTL in vivo in HLA-A*0201 transgenic HHD mice and in vitro in healthy donors. These CTL are able to recognize two low HLA-A*0201 affinity peptides differing at their C-terminal position and derived from MAGE-A2, -A3, -A4, -A6, -A10, and -A12 (p248G9) and MAGE-A1 (p248D9). Interestingly, p248V9-specific CTL respond to endogenous MAGE-A1, -A2, -A3, -A4, -A6, -A10, and -A12 in an HLA-A*0201-restricted manner and recognize human HLA-A*0201(+)MAGE-A(+) tumor cells of various histological origin. Therefore, this heteroclitic peptide may be considered as a potent candidate for a broad-spectrum tumor vaccination.

Discrete cleavage motifs of constitutive and immunoproteasomes revealed by quantitative analysis of cleavage products

Proteasomes are the main proteases responsible for cytosolic protein degradation and the production of major histocompatibility complex class I ligands. Incorporation of the interferon gamma--inducible subunits low molecular weight protein (LMP)-2, LMP-7, and multicatalytic endopeptidase complex--like (MECL)-1 leads to the formation of immunoproteasomes which have been associated with more efficient class I antigen processing. Although differences in cleavage specificities of constitutive and immunoproteasomes have been observed frequently, cleavage motifs have not been described previously. We now report that cells expressing immunoproteasomes display a different peptide repertoire changing the overall cytotoxic T cell--specificity as indicated by the observation that LMP-7(-/-) mice react against cells of LMP-7 wild-type mice. Moreover, using the 436 amino acid protein enolase-1 as an unmodified model substrate in combination with a quantitative approach, we analyzed a large collection of peptides generated by either set of proteasomes. Inspection of the amino acids flanking proteasomal cleavage sites allowed the description of two different cleavage motifs. These motifs finally explain recent findings describing differential processing of epitopes by constitutive and immunoproteasomes and are important to the understanding of peripheral T cell tolerization/activation as well as for effective vaccine development.