Nature Biotechnology
19, 760 - 764 (2001)
doi:10.1038/90816
Plant viral genes in DNA idiotypic vaccines activate linked CD4+ T-cell mediated immunity against B-cell malignanciesNatalia Savelyeva1, Rosalind Munday1, Myfanwy B. Spellerberg1, George P. Lomonossoff2
& Freda K. Stevenson11
Molecular Immunology Group, Tenovus Laboratory, Southampton University Hospitals Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, United Kingdom. 2
Department of Virus Research, John Innes Centre, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom.
Correspondence should be addressed to Freda K. Stevenson ns1@soton.ac.ukDNA delivery of tumor antigens can activate specific immune attack on cancer cells. However, antigens may be weak, and immune capacity can be compromised. Fusion of genes encoding activating sequences to the tumor antigen sequence facilitates promotion and manipulation of effector pathways. Idiotypic determinants of B-cell tumors, encoded by the variable region genes, are clone-specific tumor antigens. When assembled as single-chain Fv (scFv) alone in a DNA vaccine, immunogenicity is low. Previously, we found that fusion of a sequence from tetanus toxin (fragment C; FrC) promoted anti-idiotypic protection against lymphoma and myeloma. We have now investigated an alternative fusion gene derived from a plant virus, potato virus X coat protein, a primary antigen in humans. When fused to scFv, the self-aggregating protein generates protection against lymphoma and myeloma. In contrast to scFv−FrC, protection against lymphoma is mediated by CD4+ T cells, as is protection against myeloma. Plant viral proteins offer new opportunities to activate immunity against linked T-cell epitopes to attack cancer.
|
