Immunogenic cancer peptides and uses thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to novel general methods and compositions that provide cancer-specific or highly cancer-associated antigens useful for diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

1 . (canceled)  
     
     
         2 . A cancer-specific or highly cancer-associated peptide comprising the following structure: 
 (a) an amino acid sequence of a length from 3-1000 amino acids;    (b) a net hydrophilic character; and    (c) at least one glycosylatable amino acid located at a position in the amino acid sequence no further than 3 amino acids away from the amino acid adjacent to either end of the peptide, wherein for cells with normal growth patterns the amino acid is the site of glycosylation, but in cancer cells the site is missing entirely, so that the glycosylation site confers a cancer-specific or highly cancer-associated immunogenicity or marker function to the peptide.    
     
     
         3 . The peptide of  claim 2  further defined as immunogenic.  
     
     
         4 . The peptide of  claim 2 , wherein the glycosylatable amino acid is asparagine.  
     
     
         5 . The peptide of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of deglycosylated amino acids, and wherein each deglycosylated amino acid is separated from the deglycosylated amino acid nearest to it by no more than 6 unmodified amino acids.  
     
     
         6 . The peptide of  claim 5  further comprising: 
 (a) a chemical modification of at least one of the deglycosylated amino acids wherein the chemical modification confers upon the peptide an additional cancer-specific or highly cancer-associated immunogenicity than that due to glycosylation; and    (b) an amino acid sequence wherein no more than 3 unmodified amino acids are located on either side of a modified amino acid or amino acid that has a glycosylation site removed.    
     
     
         7 . (canceled).  
     
     
         8 . The peptide of  claim 2 , wherein the peptide is produced synthetically.  
     
     
         9 . The peptide of  claim 2 , produced by the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         10 . A composition comprising a peptide of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         11 . An immunogenic composition capable of inducing a mammal to produce antibodies specific for an epitope on a cancer cell, wherein the immunogenic composition comprises a peptide of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         12 - 23 . (canceled)  
     
     
         24 . A therapeutic construct comprising a peptide of  claim 2  and 
 (a) adjuvant/peptide conjugates comprising the peptide coupled to molecule which facilitates enhanced immunogenicity; and    (b) neomolecules created by recombinant techniques containing a peptide with adjuvant molecular sequences which promote increased immunogenicity of the peptide of  claim 2 .    
     
     
         25 - 26 . (canceled)  
     
     
         27 . The peptide of  claim 2  having a sequence selected from the group consisting of:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   uNu 
                 
                     
                   uNuu 
                 
                     
                   Nuuu 
                 
                     
                   uNuuu 
                 
                     
                   uuNuu 
                 
                     
                   uuNuuu 
                 
                     
                   uuuNuuu 
                 
                     
                   uNu M uuu 
                 
                     
                   uuNu M uuu 
                 
                     
                   uuuNu M uuu 
                 
                     
                   uuuN MM uuu 
                 
                     
                   uuuNu MM uuu 
                 
                     
                   uuuN MMM uuu 
                 
                     
                   uNuu M uu 
                 
                     
                   uNuu M uuu 
                 
                     
                   uuNuu M uuu 
                 
                     
                   uuuNuu M uuu 
                 
                     
                   uuNuu M uuNuu 
                 
                     
                   uuuNuu M uuNuuu 
                 
                     
                   uuu M uuNuu M uuu 
                 
                     
                   [uuNuuN]n 
                 
                     
                   [uuuNuuuN]n 
                 
                     
                   [uuuNuuuuN]n 
                 
                     
                   [uuuNuuuuuN]n 
                 
                     
                   [uuuNuuuuuN]n 
                 
                     
                   [uuuNuuuuuuN]n 
                 
                     
                   [uuuNuuuuuuNu]n 
                 
                     
                   [uuuNuuuuuuNuu]n 
                 
                     
                   [uuuNuuuuuuNuuu]n 
                 
                     
                   [uu M uuN]n 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
       wherein u is an unmodified amino acid, N is a deglycosylated amino acid, and M is a modified amino acid.