Tumor antigen based on products of the tumor suppressor gene wt1

Abstract

A tumor antigen that comprises, as an active ingredient, a product of the Wilms' tumor suppressor gene WT1 or a peptide composed of 7-30 contiguous amino acids containing an anchor amino acid for binding to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I in said amino acid sequence, and a vaccine comprising said antigen.

1 .- 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . An in vivo method of killing target cells that express a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5, comprising administering to a patient an anti-target cell immune response eliciting amount of a peptide of derived from the amino acid sequence of human WT-1 polypeptide having 9 to 30 amino acids, wherein the peptide comprises the amino acid sequence Arg Met Phe Pro Asn Ala Pro Tyr Leu (SEQ ID NO:5), and wherein the peptide binds to HLA-A0201, and wherein the peptide is processed by HLA-A0201-positive antigen presenting cells to produce the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 that is capable of eliciting the production of a cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) wherein the CTL recognizes a HLA-A0201-positive cell which expresses intact human WT-1 protein. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the target cells are cancer cells. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the cancer cells are cells of a tumor of the blood selected from the group consisting of leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, multiple myeloma, and malignant lymphoma, which express a WT-1 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the cancer cells are a cells of a solid tumor selected from the group consisting of gastric cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, germ cell tumor, hepatic cancer, skin cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer, which express a WT-1 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5. 
     
     
         12 . An in vivo method of killing target cells that express a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of WT-1 comprising administering to a patient an anti-target cell immune response eliciting amount of a peptide of SEQ ID NO: 5. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the target cells are cancer cells. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the cancer cells are cells of a tumor of the blood selected from the group consisting of leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, multiple myeloma, and malignant lymphoma, which express a WT-1 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the cancer cells are a cells of a solid tumor selected from the group consisting of gastric cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, germ cell tumor, hepatic cancer, skin cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer, which express a WT-1 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5.