MUC1-specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Eradicate Tumors When Adoptively Transferred in Vivo

P Mukherjee, AR Ginardi, TL Tinder, CJ Sterner… - Clinical cancer …, 2001 - AACR
P Mukherjee, AR Ginardi, TL Tinder, CJ Sterner, SJ Gendler
Clinical cancer research, 2001AACR
We have reported previously that MUC1 transgenic mice with spontaneous tumors of the
pancreas (designated MET) naturally develop MHC class I-restricted, MUC1-specific CTLs
as tumors progress (P. Mukherjee et al., J. Immunol., 165: 3451–3460, 2000). From these
MET mice, we have isolated, expanded, and cloned naturally occurring MUC1-specific CTLs
in vitro. In this report, we show that the CTL line is predominantly CD8+ T cells and
expresses T-cell receptor Vβ chains 5.1/5.2, 11, 13, and 2 and Vα chains 2, 8.3, 3.2, and …
Abstract
We have reported previously that MUC1 transgenic mice with spontaneous tumors of the pancreas (designated MET) naturally develop MHC class I-restricted, MUC1-specific CTLs as tumors progress (P. Mukherjee et al., J. Immunol., 165: 3451–3460, 2000). From these MET mice, we have isolated, expanded, and cloned naturally occurring MUC1-specific CTLs in vitro. In this report, we show that the CTL line is predominantly CD8+ T cells and expresses T-cell receptor Vβ chains 5.1/5.2, 11, 13, and 2 and Vα chains 2, 8.3, 3.2, and 11.1/11.2. These CTLs recognize several epitopes on the MUC1 tandem repeat with highest affinity to APGSTAPPA. The CTL clone, on the other hand, is 100% CD8+ cells and expresses a single Vβ chain of 5.1/5.2 and Vα2. It recognizes only the H-2Db class I-restricted epitope of MUC1, APGSTAPPA. When adoptively transferred, the CTLs were effective in eradicating MUC1-expressing injected tumor cells including mammary gland cells (C57mg) and B16 melanomas. These results suggest that MUC1-specific CTLs are capable of possibly preventing, or at least substantially delaying, MUC1-expressing tumor formation. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that demonstrates that the naturally occurring MUC1-specific CTLs isolated from one tumor model has antitumor effects on other MUC1-expressing tumors in vivo. Therefore, our data confirm that MUC1 is an important tumor rejection antigen and can serve as a target for immunotherapy.
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