Development of Superagonist Mimics to Epitopes Defined by Cytotoxic and Helper T Cells
Abstract
Human mucin glycoprotein MUC1 is normally expressed on the apical surface of ductal epithelial cells. MUC1 is overexpressed all surface of a wide variety of ductal adenocarcinomas, including those of breast, pancreas, lung, colon, and prostate. Thus MUC1 is a potentially attractive immunogen for a cancer vaccine with broad specificity. MUC1 is essentially "self' antigen, and, as such is only weakly immunogenic. Natural responses against MUC1 are characterized by a low frequency of cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) and low titers of antibodies, We hoped to enhance the immune response to MUC1 antigen by using mimics of natural MUC1 antigen. Mimics are peptides of a different structure from the natural peptide, but which can stimulate or re-stimulate a T cell response to the latter. Such responses may be an augmentation or a diminution, depending upon the mimic. The activity of mimics takes advantage of the degeneracy of T cell recognition, i.e. on the fact that a single T cell receptor (TCR) can recognize many different peptides.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA413745
Entities
People
- Malcolm S. Mitchell
Organizations
- Wayne State University