Melanoma antigenic peptides

Abstract

Thus, this invention provides novel, synthetic polypeptide vaccines against human melanoma and methods for making these vaccines. Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are further provided herein. This invention also provides antigen presenting cells that present the novel polypeptides on the cell surface and use of the APC in cancer therapy. Immune effector cells expanded in the presence of the APC are further provided herein. These compositions are useful as melanoma vaccines and in adoptive immunotherapy.

1 . A polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence FLDQVAFXV (Seq. ID No. 1), wherein X is any amino acid.  
     
     
         2 . A polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence FLFSWYAXV (Seq. ID No. 3), wherein X is any amino acid.  
     
     
         3 . The complement of a polynucleotide of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         4 . The complement of a polynucleotide of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         5 . A gene delivery vehicle comprising a polynucleotide of any of  claims 1  to  4 .  
     
     
         6 . The gene delivery vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a plasmid, a cosmid, a recombinant viral vector, and a liposome-containing vehicle.  
     
     
         7 . The gene delivery vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the recominant viral vector is a recombinant DNA viral vector or a recombinant RNA viral vector.  
     
     
         8 . A host cell comprising a polynucleotide of any of  claims 1  to  4 .  
     
     
         9 . A method of recombinantly producing a polynucleotide, comprising growing the host cell of  claim 8  and isolating the polynucleotide produced thereby.  
     
     
         10 . A composition comprising a polynucleotide of any of  claims 1  to  4 , and a carrier.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the carrier is a solid support.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the carrier is a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         13 . A polypeptide comprising the sequence FLDQVAFXV (Seq. ID No. 1), wherein X is any amino acid.  
     
     
         14 . A polypeptide comprising the sequence FLFSWYAXV (Seq. ID No. 3), wherein X is any amino acid.  
     
     
         15 . A polypeptide that is preferentially recognized by gp100 specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes which comprises the polypeptide of  claim 13 .  
     
     
         16 . A polypeptide that is preferentially recognized by gp 100 specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes which comprises the polypeptide of  claim 14 .  
     
     
         17 . A method of recombinantly producing a polypeptide, comprising growing the host cell of  claim 8  under conditions suitable for the transcription and translation of the polynucleotide and isolating the polypeptide produced thereby.  
     
     
         18 . A composition comprising the polypeptide of  claim 15  or  16  and a carrier.  
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 18 , wherein the carrier is a solid support.  
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the carrier is a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         21 . A host cell comprising the polypeptide of  claim 15  or  16 .  
     
     
         22 . The host cell of  claim 21 , wherein the cell is an antigen presenting cell (APC)and the polypeptide is present on the surface of the cell.  
     
     
         23 . The host cell of  claim 22 , wherein the APC is a dendritic cell.  
     
     
         24 . A population of educated, antigen-specific immune effector cells produced by culturing naive immune effector cells with antigen-presenting cells (APC) cells which express the polypeptide of  claim 14  or  claim 15  on the surface of the APCs.  
     
     
         25 . The population of  claim 24 , wherein the antigen presenting cells (APCs) are dendritic cells.  
     
     
         26 . The population of  claim 24 , wherein the immune effector cells are cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs).  
     
     
         27 . The population of  claim 24 , wherein immune effector cells are genetically modified.  
     
     
         28 . The population of  claim 24 , wherein the antigen-presenting cells are genetically modified.  
     
     
         29 . A composition comprising the population of any of  claims 24  to  28 , and a carrier.  
     
     
         30 . The composition of  claim 29 , wherein the carrier is a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         31 . A method of inducing an immune response in a subject, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of the polypeptide of  claim 15  or  16 , under the conditions that induce an immune response to the polypeptide.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising administering an effective amount of a cytokine to the subject.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising administering an effective amount of a co-stimulatory molecule to the subject.  
     
     
         34 . A method of inducing an immune response to a melanoma antigen in a subject, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of the antigen-presenting cell of  claim 22  and under conditions that induce an immune response to the antigen.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising administering an effective amount of a cytokine to the subject.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising administering an effective amount of a co-stimulatory molecule to the subject.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the antigen-presenting cell is genetically modified.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising genetically modifying the cell to express a cytokine.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising genetically modifying the cell to express a co-stimulatory molecule.  
     
     
         40 . A method of adoptive immunotherapy, comprising administering to a subject an effective amount of a population of educated, antigen-specific immune effector cells of any of  claims 24  to  28 .  
     
     
         41 . A database comprising the the nucleotide sequence of any of the polynucleotides of  claims 1  to  4 .