Peptide vaccines for cancers expressing tumor-associated antigens

Abstract

The present invention provides peptides having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19, 22, 30, 34, 344, 358, 41, 44, 46, 48, 78, 376, 379, 80, 100, 101, 110, 111, 387, 112, 394, 114, 116, 117, 121, 395, 133, 135, 137, 426, 143, 147, 148, 149, 150, 152, 153, 154, 156, 160, 161, 162, 163, 166, 174, 178, 186, 194, 196, 202, 210, 213, 214, 217, 223, 227, 228, 233, 254, 271, 272 or 288, as well as peptides having the above-mentioned amino acid sequences in which 1, 2, or several (e.g., up to 5) amino acids are substituted, deleted, or added, provided the peptides possess cytotoxic T cell inducibility. The present invention also provides drugs for treating or preventing a disease associated with over-expression of the CDH3, EPHA4, ECT2, HIG2, INHBB, KIF20A, KNTC2, TTK and/or URLC10, e.g. cancers containing as an active ingredient one or more of these peptides. The peptides of the present invention find further utility as vaccines.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An isolated peptide of (a) or (b) below:
 (a) an isolated peptide of less than about 15 amino acids having cytotoxic T cell inducibility, said peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80, 100 or 101;   (b) an isolated peptide of less than about 15 amino acids having cytotoxic T cell inducibility, wherein said peptide comprises an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80, 100 or 101 in which 1, 2, or several amino acids are substituted, deleted, or added.   
     
     
         2 . The peptide of  claim 1 , wherein the peptide is selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) an isolated peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80, 100 or 101; and   (b) an isolated peptide having cytotoxic T cell inducibility, wherein said peptide consists of an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80, 100 or 101 in which 1, 2, or several amino acids are substituted, deleted, or added.   
     
     
         3 . The peptide of  claim 1 , wherein the second amino acid from the N-terminus of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80, 100 or 101 is substituted with phenylalanine, tyrosine, methionine, or tryptophan. 
     
     
         4 . The peptide of  claim 1 , wherein the C-terminal amino acid of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80, 100 or 101 is substituted with phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, or methionine. 
     
     
         5 . The peptide of  claim 3 , wherein the C-terminal amino acid of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80, 100 or 101 is substituted with phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, or methionine. 
     
     
         6 . A pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing a disease associated with over-expression of the gene of SEQ ID NO: 5, said composition comprising a peptide of  claim 1  or a polynucleotide encoding the peptide. 
     
     
         7 . A pharmaceutical composition of  claim 6 , wherein the disease associated with the gene of SEQ ID NO: 5 is cancer. 
     
     
         8 . A pharmaceutical composition of  claim 7 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of bladder cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, cholangiocellular carcinoma, CML, colorectal cancer, endometriosis, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, diffused type gastric cancer, liver cancer, NSCLC, lymphoma, osteosarcoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, renal carcinoma, SCLC, soft tissue tumor and testicular tumor. 
     
     
         9 . A method of inducing antigen-presenting cells having cytotoxic T cell inducibility, said method comprising the step of contacting an antigen-presenting cell with a peptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A method of inducing cytotoxic T cells by contacting a T cell with a peptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A method of inducing antigen-presenting cells having cytotoxic T cell inducibility, said method comprising the step of transferring a gene comprising a polynucleotide encoding a peptide of  claim 1  to an antigen-presenting cell. 
     
     
         12 . A method of inducing a cytotoxic T cell, said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) contacting an antigen-presenting cell with a peptide of  claim 1 , and   (b) mixing the antigen-presenting cells of step (a) with a CD8+ T cell and co-culturing.   
     
     
         13 . A vaccine for inhibiting proliferation of a cell expressing the gene of SEQ ID NO: 5, wherein the vaccine comprises a peptide of  claim 1  as an active ingredient. 
     
     
         14 . The vaccine of  claim 13 , wherein the cell expressing the gene of SEQ ID NO: 5 is a cancer cell. 
     
     
         15 . The vaccine of  claim 14 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of bladder cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, cholangiocellular carcinoma, CML, colorectal cancer, endometriosis, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, diffused type gastric cancer, liver cancer, NSCLC, lymphoma, osteosarcoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, renal carcinoma, SCLC, soft tissue tumor and testicular tumor. 
     
     
         16 . The vaccine of  claim 15 , formulated for administration to a subject whose HLA antigen is HLA-A24. 
     
     
         17 . A composition comprising a peptide of  claim 1  or a polynucleotide encoding the peptide. 
     
     
         18 . A method of treating or preventing a disease associated with over-expression of the gene of SEQ ID NO: 5 in a subject, said method comprising administering to said subject a vaccine comprising a peptide of  claim 1 , or a polynucleotide encoding said peptide. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the disease associated with over-expression of the gene of SEQ ID NO: 5 is cancer. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of bladder cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, cholangiocellular carcinoma, CML, colorectal cancer, endometriosis, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, diffused type gastric cancer, liver cancer, NSCLC, lymphoma, osteosarcoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, renal carcinoma, SCLC, soft tissue tumor and testicular tumor.