1. Essential roles of tumor-derived helper T cell epitopes for an effective peptide-based tumor vaccine
Lijie Wang, Yoshihiro Miyahara, Takuma Kato, Linan Wang, Takumi Aota, Kagemasa Kuribayashi, Hiroshi Shiku Cancer Immun. 2003 Nov 21;3:16.
In this study, we identified a c-erbB-2/HER2/neu (HER2)-derived Th epitope (HER2 (16-30) ) and examined the role of Th epitopes in HER2-specific CD8+ T cell induction and in vivo tumor eradication, with a particular emphasis on the role of tumor cell-derived Th epitopes. Immunization of BALB/c mice using a mixture of Th epitope HER2 (16-30) and CTL epitope HER2 (63-71) administered subcutaneously with murine GM-CSF (mGM-CSF) induced a much higher level of HER2 (63-71) -specific CD8+ T cells compared with that obtained with the CTL epitope alone. HER2-unrelated OVA-derived Th epitope (OVA (323-339) ) exhibited a similar enhancing effect on HER2 (63-71) -specific CD8+ T cell induction. However, only mice immunized with HER2 (16-30) and HER2 (63-71), but not with a tumor-unrelated OVA (323-339) and HER2 (63-71), showed in vivo eradication of CMS5mHE tumor cells expressing HER2 but not OVA. This distinction was observed in preventative as well as therapeutic experimental settings. Conversely, both HER2 (16-30) and OVA (323-339) Th epitopes were equally effective in inducing the eradication of CMS5mHEOVA tumor cells which express HER2 as well as OVA. Our results clearly indicate that CTL and Th epitopes of target tumor cell origin should be used for effective induction of in vivo antitumor immunity.
2. Mouse models of triple negative [basal-like/claudin low] breast cancer
Jason I Herschkowitz, Ron Lubet Breast Dis. 2010;32(1-2):63-71. doi: 10.3233/BD-2010-0321.
Triple negative breast cancer encompasses the molecular subtypes of basal-like and the more recently defined claudin-low group. In this review, we discuss the identification and characterization of mouse models that mimic these human subtypes. These mouse models serve as useful tools for the study of disease biology and represent a valuable resource for the evaluation of experimental therapeutics.
3. mRNA phenotyping of the major ligands and receptors of the EGF supergene family in human ovarian epithelial cells
A W Gordon, J C Pegues, G R Johnson, B Kannan, N Auersperg, K Stromberg Cancer Lett. 1995 Feb 10;89(1):63-71. doi: 10.1016/0304-3835(95)90159-0.
mRNA amplification phenotyping (MAPPing) was used to determine the level of mRNA expression of the major EGF-related ligands (EGF, TGF-alpha, and Amphiregulin) and receptors (EGF-receptor and erbB-2) of the EGF supergene family in three ovarian carcinoma lines (OVCA 429 and 433, and NIH:OVCAR-8) under serum-supplemented and reduced serum (minimal medium with 2% fetuin) growth conditions. mRNA levels of TGF-alpha, EGF-R, and erbB-2 were particularly high, and increased approximately 2-3 orders of magnitude when grown in serum, consistent with an autocrine involvement of these genes in ovarian epithelial growth in vitro. Moreover, even when grown without serum, OVCA 429 and NIH:OVCAR-8 expressed elevated levels of mRNA for erbB-2.
