Recognition of prostate and melanoma tumor cells by six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate-specific helper T lymphocytes in a human leukocyte antigen class II-restricted manner

Cancer Res. 2007 Jun 1;67(11):5498-504. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-0304.

Abstract

The six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate (STEAP) protein is an attractive candidate for T cell-based immunotherapy because it is overexpressed in prostate cancer and various other tumor types. Several peptide epitopes capable of stimulating CTLs that killed STEAP-expressing tumor cells have been described. Our goal was the identification of helper T lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes of STEAP for the optimization of T cell-based immunotherapies against STEAP-expressing malignancies. Candidate HTL epitopes for STEAP were predicted using in silico algorithms for HLA class II-binding peptides and were tested for their ability to elicit HTL responses by in vitro peptide vaccination of CD4 T lymphocytes from healthy individuals and prostate cancer patients. Two peptides (STEAP(102-116) and STEAP(192-206)) were effective in stimulating in vitro antitumor HTL responses in both normal individuals and prostate cancer patients. Notably, both STEAP HTL peptides behaved as promiscuous T-cell epitopes because they stimulated T cells in the context of more than one MHC class II allele. These newly described STEAP HTL epitopes could be of value for the design and optimization of T cell-based immunotherapy against STEAP-expressing tumors.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antigen Presentation
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • HLA-DR Antigens / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / immunology
  • Male
  • Melanoma / immunology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oxidoreductases / immunology*
  • Peptide Fragments / immunology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / immunology*

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Epitopes
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • HLA-DR Antigens
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Oxidoreductases
  • STEAP1 protein, human