A cytomegalovirus-based vaccine expressing a single tumor-specific CD8+ T-cell epitope delays tumor growth in a murine model of prostate cancer

J Immunother. 2012 Jun;35(5):390-9. doi: 10.1097/CJI.0b013e3182585d50.

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a highly immunogenic virus that results in a persistent, life-long infection in the host typically with no ill effects. Certain unique features of CMV, including its capacity to actively replicate in the presence of strong host CMV-specific immunity, may give CMV an advantage compared with other virus-based vaccine delivery platforms. In the present study, we tested the utility of mouse CMV (mCMV)-based vaccines expressing human prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer immunotherapy in double-transgenic mice expressing PSA and HLA-DRB1*1501 (DR2bxPSA F1 mice). We assessed the capacity of 2 mCMV-based vectors to induce PSA-specific CD8 T-cell responses and affect the growth of PSA-expressing Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of the Mouse Prostate tumors (TRAMP-PSA). In the absence of tumor challenge, immunization with mCMV vectors expressing either a H2-D(b)-restricted epitope PSA(65-73) (mCMV/PSA(65-73)) or the full-length gene for PSA (mCMV/PSA(FL)) induced comparable levels of CD8 T-cell responses that increased (inflated) with time. Upon challenge with TRAMP-PSA tumor cells, animals immunized with mCMV/PSA(65-73) had delay of tumor growth and increased PSA-specific CD8 T-cell responses, whereas animals immunized with mCMV/PSA(FL) showed progressive tumor growth and no increase in number of splenic PSA(65-73)-specific T cells. The data show that a prototype CMV-based prostate cancer vaccine can induce an effective antitumor immune response in a "humanized" double-transgenic mouse model. The observation that mCMV/PSA(FL) is not effective against TRAMP-PSA is consistent with our previous findings that HLA-DRB1*1501-restricted immune responses to PSA are associated with suppression of effective CD8 T-cell responses to TRAMP-PSA tumors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / immunology
  • Adenocarcinoma / prevention & control*
  • Animals
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Cancer Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Cancer Vaccines / genetics
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cytomegalovirus / genetics
  • Cytomegalovirus / immunology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / genetics
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • Gene Expression
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains / genetics
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Open Reading Frames
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / genetics
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / immunology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / immunology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Spleen / drug effects
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / pathology
  • Tumor Burden
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen