Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C1522102 (Melanoma)
 7,698 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Human melanoma represents the principal cause of death in patients with skin cancer in the United States and Europe. Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes recognizing melanoma have been used to identify the tumour antigens recognized by T-cells in the context of MHC class I or class II molecules. Such antigens include MAGE-1, MAGE-3, MART-1/Melan-A, gp100, tyrosinase, the tyrosinase-related antigen gp75, the antigen gp15 and the mutated CDK4 and beta-catenin gene-products. The identification of these T-cell epitopes provides us with novel reagents for the development of state-of-the-art treatments and for the (immuno-)monitoring of patients with melanoma. In order for treatments, including peptide-based vaccines, to be successful, several conceptual criteria must be met: (1) The patient's tumour must present the relevant epitope(s) integrated into the vaccine, (2) the tumour should express the appropriate restricting major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule(s) required for patient cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) reactivity, and (3) the patient's T-cell repertoire should be able to react productively against the melanoma antigens present in the vaccine. Clinical trials implementing peptide-based vaccines or whole protein therapies have been initiated in the United States and Europe. We suggest that such treatments should include the careful monitoring of anti-tumour T-cell responses. This should include examination of melanoma antigen and MHC class I allele expression in the individual patient's tumour, assessment of the status of the peptide transporter molecules TAP1/TAP2 and evaluation of T-cell mediated immune responses reactive against peptides and autologous melanoma. Evaluation of clinical parameters (such as disease-free survival) in conjunction with an examination of immunological parameters may facilitate our understanding of the immune responses against T-cell antigens that are shared among melanoma and normal melanocytes, and may ultimately help to identify the most effective immunotherapy for patients with melanoma.
Melanoma Res 1996 Feb
PMID:New treatment options for patients with melanoma: review of melanoma-derived T-cell epitope-based peptide vaccines. 864 65

Melanoma is heterogeneous for its biological properties and melanoma-associated antigens (MAAs). This diversity is partially observed in the expression of the MAAs involved with the melanin synthesis pathway. We therefore developed a sensitive multimarker reverse transcription-PCR plus Southern blot assay using five MAAs as molecular markers to detect primary and metastatic melanoma cells. Melanoma cell lines, melanocytes (cultured), primary and metastatic malignant melanoma tissues, and blood from patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage I-IV melanoma were assessed for tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related proteins 1 and 2, Pmel 17, and MART-1/Melan-A. All of the MAA mRNA markers were expressed in 100% of melanoma cell lines and cultured melanocytes, 74% of primary and metastatic tumors (excluding tumor-draining lymph nodes), 43% of tumor-involved lymph nodes, and 43% of patients' bloods. Hypomelanotic melanoma tissues expressed a lower frequency of individual mRNA markers. Overall, at least one mRNA marker was expressed in more than 86% of specimens assayed. Normal tissue specimens from patients and blood from normal volunteer donors were negative for MAA mRNA expression. The multimarker MAA reverse transcription-PCR plus Southern blot analysis was more reliable and sensitive than a single-molecular marker assay for the detection of melanoma cells. This molecular assay can also provide information on MAA mRNA expression of metastatic melanoma cells that may assist in monitoring the therapeutic efficacy of active specific immunotherapy toward specific MAA-bearing melanomas.
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PMID:Melanoma-associated antigens as messenger RNA detection markers for melanoma. 910 26

Specific CD8(+) CTL recognition of melanoma requires expression of MHC class I molecules as well as melanoma-associated peptide epitopes. Human melanoma cells may escape immune recognition by a variety of means, including global or allelic down-regulation of MHC class I molecules. Stable MHC class I cell surface expression requires delivery of cytosolic peptides into the endoplasmic reticulum by the peptide transporter molecules TAP1 and TAP2, with peptides subsequently transported to the cell surface in complexes containing MHC class I heavy chain and beta2-microglobulin. We have evaluated a series of mechanisms resulting in MHC class I down-regulation in a human melanoma cell line, Mz18, typed as HLA-A2(+), A3(+), B7(+), B57(+), Cw1(+), and Cw6(+) by genomic PCR analysis. The melanoma cell line Mz18 exhibits a global down-regulation of MHC class I heavy chain transcripts; beta2-microglobulin; the proteasome subunits LMP2/7, involved in generating cytosolic peptide fragments; and the peptide transporter molecules TAP1 and TAP2, involved in peptide transport from the cytosol into the endoplasmic reticulum. IFN-gamma treatment of Mz18 melanoma cells leads to up-regulation of LMP2/7 and TAP1/2, as well as to up-regulation of HLA-B and HLA-C MHC loci alleles, but not HLA-A2 or HLA-A3. Karyotypic analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization with chromosome 6 and MHC class I-specific probes showed complex rearrangement of one chromosome 6 involving the MHC class I locus on 6p and translocation of 6q to the long arm of chromosome 19. To evaluate the capability of melanoma Mz18 to present tumor-specific peptides to HLA-A2-restricted, melanoma-specific CTLs, we restored HLA-A2 surface expression by retroviral-mediated transfer of functional HLA-A2 cDNA. Melanoma peptides could only be presented and recognized by CTLs if the HLA-A2-transfected Mz18 cell line was first treated with IFN-gamma, thereby restoring LMP2/7 and TAP1/2 expression and function. Because several melanoma antigens recognized by T cells have been reported to be presented by HLA-A2 (MART-1/Melan-A, tyrosinase, gp100, and MAGE-3), the loss of HLA-A2 molecules may represent an important mechanism by which many melanomas evade immune recognition. These findings suggest that patients entering clinical trials for immunotherapy with melanoma vaccines should be carefully examined for tumor cell allelic MHC class I loss and whether such MHC class I antigen down-regulation can be restored by cytokines.
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PMID:Tumor escape from immune recognition: loss of HLA-A2 melanoma cell surface expression is associated with a complex rearrangement of the short arm of chromosome 6. 981 14

Recent insights in antigen presentation, the identification of human tumor antigens, and the demonstration of MHC class-I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) recognition of peptides encoded by tumor antigen have renewed the interest and enthusiasm for the development of cancer vaccines. Melanoma serves as a paradigm of an immunogenic human tumor, and several tumor antigens, including MAGE, MART-1/Melan-A and gp100, recognized by CTLs, have now been isolated. Candidate antigens for novel vaccine trials may include HLA class-I-binding tumor peptides that serve as CTL epitopes, whole tumor protein, or DNA-based vaccines. Requirements for the use of peptides are that the patient's tumor presents the relevant CTL epitopes as used in the vaccine and expresses the appropriate MHC class-I-restricting molecule. Immunological monitoring may be facilitated when using peptide-based vaccines. Because optimal presentation of tumor antigens may depend on provision of appropriate costimulatory signals, it may be more advantageous to administer professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with tumor peptide or protein, to cancer patients. Developments in molecular genetics have led to a new approach in vaccines consisting of cancer cells genetically engineered to express immunomodulatory molecules. This may result in increased antitumor responses to both gene-modified as well as unmodified tumor cells. The therapeutic approach is extended to vaccination trials with recombinant viruses containing the genes encoding tumor antigens, minigenes containing multiple CTL epitopes, or double recombinant vectors engineered to express both the tumor antigen and immunostimulatory molecules. Clinical peptide, protein and DNA-based vaccine trials have recently been initiated. Thus far, exciting clinical remissions were obtained in melanoma patients following vaccination with HLA-A1-binding MAGE-3 peptide and in B-cell lymphoma patients immunized with autologous DCs pulsed with anti-idiotype protein, i.e., the individual patient's unique tumor antigen. Also, following injection of foreign HLA-B7 DNA into cutaneous melanoma metastases, T-cell migration into treated lesions and enhanced cellular immunity at the site of the tumor were shown in some patients. These encouraging results suggest that effective new vaccines in cancer will be identified.
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PMID:Vaccine Trials for the Clinician: Prospects for Tumor Antigens. 1038 61

Melanoma-reactive human cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) mediate tumor regression in vivo through specific recognition of MHC-associated peptide epitopes, many of which are encoded by the melanocytic tissue differentiation proteins gp100/Pme117 and MART-1/Melan-A. Vaccines using these peptides may induce protective or therapeutic immunity against melanoma. Rational design of such approaches is aided by a clear understanding of the identity of these antigenic peptides; however, most CTL epitopes described to date were identified indirectly. Especially where these peptides may be used in human clinical trials for the treatment or prevention of cancer, there is substantial need for direct evaluation of HLA-A*0201-associated peptides from MART-1 and gp100 that are naturally processed and presented. To that end, we have isolated peptides directly from HLA-A*0201 molecules of human melanoma cells and have determined that naturally processed epitopes for HLA-A*0201-restricted, melanoma-reactive CTLs include the nonamers MART-1(27-35) (AAGIGILTV), gp100(154-162) (KTWGQYWQV), gp100(209-217) (ITDQVPFSV) and gp100(280-288) (YLEPGPVTA) and the decamer gp100(476-485) (VLYRYGSFSV). Among these, the one that appears to be most abundant at the cell surface is gp100(154-162) (KTWGQYWQV). The others are among the less abundant peptides. HLA-A*0201-restricted CTLs from one melanoma patient who has survived metastatic disease recognized MART-1(27-35) (AAGIGILTV), gp100(280-288) (YLEPGPVTA) and gp100(154-162) (KTWGQYWQV) and were cross-reactive on longer peptides that contained these nonamer sequences. These peptides, identified by both an indirect genetic approach and by a direct peptide approach, can be used for tumor vaccine strategies with confidence that they are identical to the naturally processed peptide epitopes presented at the surface of melanoma cells in association with HLA-A*0201 molecules.
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PMID:Mass-spectrometric evaluation of HLA-A*0201-associated peptides identifies dominant naturally processed forms of CTL epitopes from MART-1 and gp100. 1041 64

The induction of an in vitro T cell response against tumour-associated antigens with subsequent expansion of the individual cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clones still is not routine and the only tumour-associated antigen that has been found to easily induce the establishment of CTL clones is the MART-1/Melan-A antigen. In this paper, we describe a new approach for in vitro immunization based on the use of preselected melanoma cell clones. The human melanoma cell subline FM3.P was cloned and the immunological properties of individual clones were compared. Melanoma cell clone FM3.29, having a high level of expression of melanoma differentiation antigens, as well as high levels of the HLA class I and class II antigens and adhesion molecules, was used for the establishment of a CTL line that was subsequently cloned. For optimization of the conditions of growth of established CTL clones, a particular melanoma subline FM3.D/40 was selected for supporting the proliferation of CTL clones. The majority of the established CTL clones recognized the melanoma-associated differentiation antigens gp100 and MART-1/Melan-A. Epitope analysis indicated that two different epitopes derived from gp100 (154-162 and 280-288) and a single epitope from MART-1/Melan-A (27 35) were recognized by these CTL clones. The gp100-specific CTL clones were found to be significantly more sensitive to the culture conditions than the MART-1/Melan-A-specific CTL clones. In addition, the presence of excess peptide in the culture medium induced autokilling of the gp100-specific, but not the MART-1/Melan-A-specific CTL clones. Taken together, these results demonstrate that, by careful preselection of melanoma cell lines and clones both for the induction of CTL line from patients' peripheral blood lymphocytes and subsequent cloning, it is possible to obtain a large number of stable CTL clones even against such an inherently "difficult" differentiation antigen as gp100.
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PMID:Establishment of gp100 and MART-1/Melan-A-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte clones using in vitro immunization against preselected highly immunogenic melanoma cell clones. 1047 40

In this study we directly compared the in vitro responses of T-cells from normal donors and melanoma patients to Melan-A27-35 and Melan-A26-35. These peptides have been previously used in peptide-based vaccination studies. Following three stimulations with peptide-pulsed antigen-presenting cells in vitro, Melan-A-specific cytolytic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) were generated from seven of 20 subjects; two of the seven subjects responded reproducibly to both Melan-A27-35 and Melan-A26-35, three to only Melan-A27-35 and two to only Melan-A26-35. However, CTLs generated with either Melan-A27-35 or Melan-A26-35 showed cross recognition, and both types of CTL could recognize naturally processed antigen displayed on HLA-A2+ tumour cells. Furthermore, Melan-A-specific CTLs could also be generated by stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells with autologous melanoma cells. Our results suggest that some subjects may have a bias in their CTL repertoire which favours the generation of Melan-A27-35 specific CTLs, while others may favour Melan-A26-35 specific CTLs. It is also likely that CTL precursors capable of detecting both peptides may have different affinities to the two Melan-A peptides. Since it is difficult to predict the CTL responses to Melan-A peptide in a given individual, we suggest vaccinating with both Melan-A27-35 and Melan-A26-35 peptides in clinical trials.
Melanoma Res 2000 Feb
PMID:A direct comparison of cytolytic T-lymphocyte responses to Melan-A peptides in vitro: differential immunogenicity of Melan-A27-35 and Melan-A26-35. 1071 36

Melanoma-reactive HLA-A x 0201-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) lines generated in vitro lyse autologous and HLA-matched allogeneic melanoma cells and recognize multiple shared peptide antigens from tyrosinase, MART-1, and Pme117/gp100. However, a subset of melanomas fail to be lysed by these T cells. In the present report, four different HLA-A x 0201+ melanoma cell lines not lysed by melanoma-reactive allogeneic CTL have been evaluated in detail. All four are deficient in expression of the melanocytic differentiation proteins (MDP) tyrosinase, Pme117/gp100, gp75/ trp-1, and MART-1/Melan-A. This concordant loss of multiple MDP explains their resistance to lysis by melanoma-reactive allogeneic CTL and confirms that a subset of melanomas may be resistant to tumor vaccines directed against multiple MDP-derived epitopes. All four melanoma lines expressed normal levels of HLAA x 0201, and all were susceptible to lysis by xenoreactive-peptide-dependent HLA-A x 0201-specific CTL clones, indicating that none had identifiable defects in antigen-processing pathways. Despite the lack of shared MDP-derived antigens, one of these MDP-negative melanomas, DM331, stimulated an effective autologous CTL response in vitro, which was restricted to autologous tumor reactivity. MHC-associated peptides isolated by immunoaffinity chromatography from HLA-A1 and HLA-A2 molecules of DM331 tumor cells included at least three peptide epitopes recognized by DM331 CTL and restricted by HLA-A1 or by HLA-A x 0201. Recognition of these CTL epitopes cannot be explained by defined, shared melanoma antigens; instead, unique or undefined antigens must be responsible for the autologous-cell-specific anti-melanoma response. These findings suggest that immunotherapy directed against shared melanoma antigens should be supplemented with immunotherapy directed against unique antigens or other undefined antigens, especially in patients whose tumors do not express MDP.
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PMID:Melanomas with concordant loss of multiple melanocytic differentiation proteins: immune escape that may be overcome by targeting unique or undefined antigens. 1075 74

The presence or absence of melanoma cells in human peripheral blood has recently been shown to be associated with disease prognosis, including overall survival. The detection of tyrosinase mRNA-positive circulating melanoma cells by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been limited to disseminated tumours expressing measurable amounts of this melanocyte-specific enzyme. To biologically classify both melanotic and amelanotic melanomas and to evaluate the clinical and prognostic relevance of tumour cell microcontamination, we examined autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvests from patients with advanced malignant melanoma prior to dose-escalated chemotherapy. To assay heterogeneous melanoma cell antigen expression, we developed a highly sensitive RT-PCR using four melanoma- and one tumour-associated antigen as molecular markers. Expression of the melanocyte-associated transcripts of tyrosinase, MART1/Melan-A, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1) and tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2) as well as the tumour-specific transcript of MAGE-3 was analysed by RT-PCR in PBSC harvests from 31 patients. Seven of the 31 PBSC harvests tested positive for one or more molecular markers: two patients for tyrosinase only, and one patient for MAGE-3 only, one patient for tyrosinase and MAGE-3, one for tyrosinase and MART1/Melan-A, and two patients for tyrosinase, MART1/Melan-A, TRP-2 and MAGE-3. mRNA-positive patients exhibited a significantly impaired overall survival (P = 0.0032), with a median survival of 3 months as opposed to 10 months in PBSC mRNA-negative patients. In conclusion, the use of this multiple-marker microcontamination assay allowed for molecular and prognostic classification of advanced malignant melanoma.
Melanoma Res 2000 Aug
PMID:Molecular and prognostic classification of advanced melanoma: a multi-marker microcontamination assay of peripheral blood stem cells. 1098 70

We have determined high-resolution crystal structures of the complexes of HLA-A2 molecules with two modified immunodominant peptides from the melanoma tumor-associated protein Melan-A/Melanoma Ag recognized by T cells-1. The two peptides, a decamer and nonamer with overlapping sequences (ELAGIGILTV and ALGIGILTV), are modified in the second residue to increase their affinity for HLA-A2. The modified decamer is more immunogenic than the natural peptide and a candidate for peptide-based melanoma immunotherapy. The crystal structures at 1.8 and 2.15 A resolution define the differences in binding modes of the modified peptides, including different clusters of water molecules that appear to stabilize the peptide-HLA interaction. The structures suggest both how the wild-type peptides would bind and how three categories of cytotoxic T lymphocytes with differing fine specificity might recognize the two peptides.
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PMID:Crystal structures of two closely related but antigenically distinct HLA-A2/melanocyte-melanoma tumor-antigen peptide complexes. 1154 15


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