Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) encoding a pan-major histocompatibility complex class II peptide analogue augmented antigen-specific cellular immunity and suppressive effects on tumor growth elicited by DNA vaccine immunotherapy.

Vaccine immunotherapy must induce helper and cytotoxic cell-mediated immunity to generate the powerful antitumor immune responses needed to suppress cancer progression. We reported previously that a 16-amino acid peptide analogue derived from pigeon cytochrome c can bind broad ranges of MHC class II types and activate helper T cells in mice. To determine whether DNA encoding the Pan-MHC class II IA peptide (Pan-IA) can increase the efficacy of tumor suppression by DNA vaccine immunotherapy targeting tumor antigens, Pan-IA DNA was administered with ovalbumin (OVA) DNA to C57BL/6 mice bearing the OVA-expressing tumor cell line E.G7. Specific proliferative responses to and cytotoxic activities against OVA-expressing targets were induced in mice vaccinated with both OVA and Pan-IA DNA but not in those vaccinated with OVA DNA alone or control DNA plus Pan-IA DNA. Growth of E.G7 cells was suppressed only by combined vaccination with OVA and Pan-IA DNA, and tumors in five of the nine mice that received this combined vaccination were eradicated completely. In those mice, the frequency of CD8-positive T cells reactive with OVA(257-264) peptides in the context of H-2K(b) was significantly increased in the tumor site. Furthermore, immunofluorescent study of the inoculated tumors revealed increased accumulation of both CD4- and CD8-positive T cells producing IFN-gamma in the tumor only by this vaccine protocol. The data suggest that Pan-IA DNA can augment suppressive effects of DNA vaccines on tumor growth by increasing numbers of antigen-specific CTLs and helper T cells. This is the first study in which established tumors have been eradicated successfully by vaccination with DNA corresponding to CTL epitopes and helper T cell epitopes. Our animal model may contribute to the development of therapeutic DNA vaccines against cancer.