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Development of a peptide-based vaccine targeting TMPRSS2:ERG fusion-positive prostate cancer.

ABSTRACT: Identification of novel vaccine targets is critical for the design and advancement of prostate cancer (PCa) immunotherapy. Ideal targets are proteins that are abundant in prostate tumors while absent in extra-prostatic tissues. The fusion of the androgen-regulated TMPRSS2 gene with the ETS transcription factor ERG occurs in approximately 50 % of prostate cancer cases and results in aberrant ERG expression. Because expression of ERG is very low in peripheral tissue, we evaluated the suitability of this protein as an antigen target in PCa vaccines. ERG-derived HLA-A*0201-restricted immunogenic epitopes were identified through a 3-step strategy that included in silico, in vitro, and in vivo validation. Algorithms were used to predict potential HLA-A*0201-binding epitopes. High-scoring epitopes were tested for binding to HLA-A*0201 using the T2-based stabilization assay in vitro. Five peptides were found to bind HLA-A*0201 and were subsequently tested for immunogenicity in humanized, HLA-A*0201 transgenic mice. The in vivo screening identified three immunogenic peptides. One of these peptides, ERG295, overcame peripheral tolerance in HLA-A*0201 mice that expressed prostate-restricted ERG. Also, this peptide induced an antigen-specific response against ERG-expressing human prostate tumor cells. Finally, tetramer assay showed detectable and responsive ERG295-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes in peripheral blood of HLA-A*0201(+) prostate cancer patients. Detection of ERG-specific CTLs in both mice and the blood of prostate cancer patients indicates that ERG-specific tolerance can be overcome. Additionally, these data suggest that ERG is a suitable target antigen for PCa immunotherapy.

SUBMITTER: Kissick HT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3864132 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Development of a peptide-based vaccine targeting TMPRSS2:ERG fusion-positive prostate cancer.

Kissick Haydn Thomas HT Sanda Martin George MG Dunn Laura Kathleen LK Arredouani Mohamed Simo MS

Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII 20131023 12

Identification of novel vaccine targets is critical for the design and advancement of prostate cancer (PCa) immunotherapy. Ideal targets are proteins that are abundant in prostate tumors while absent in extra-prostatic tissues. The fusion of the androgen-regulated TMPRSS2 gene with the ETS transcription factor ERG occurs in approximately 50 % of prostate cancer cases and results in aberrant ERG expression. Because expression of ERG is very low in peripheral tissue, we evaluated the suitability o ...[more]

PMID: 24149465

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Project description:The transmembrane protease serine 2:v‑ets erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog (TMPRSS2:ERG) gene fusion is common in prostate cancer, while its functional role is not fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the significance of the TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion in human prostate cancers using bioinformatics tools. Comprehensive alteration analysis of TMPRSS2 and ERG in 148 different human cancer studies was performed by cBioPortal, and the mRNA expression level of the ERG gene was evaluated using Oncomine analysis. Furthermore, lentiviral short hairpin (sh)RNA‑mediated knockdown of TMPRSS2:ERG was performed to study the impact of ERG silencing on cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution in prostate cancer cells. The results demonstrated that the TMPRSS2 and ERG genes were mostly altered in prostate cancer, and the most frequent alteration was gene fusion. Oncomine analysis demonstrated that the ERG gene was significantly upregulated in prostate clinical samples compared with the normal prostate gland in four independent datasets, and a positive association was observed between potassium inwardly‑rectifying channel subfamily J member 15, down syndrome critical region gene 4, potassium inwardly‑rectifying channel subfamily J member 6 and ERG gene expression. There were 272 mutations of the ERG gene identified in the cBioPortal database; among the mutations, 2 missense mutations (R367C and P401H) were regarded as functional mutations (functional impact score >1.938). Furthermore, the present study successfully knocked down ERG gene expression through a lentiviral‑mediated gene silencing approach in VCaP prostate cancer cells. The ERG mRNA and protein expression levels were both suppressed significantly, and a cell‑cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase was observed after ERG gene silencing. In conclusion, these bioinformatics analyses provide novel insights for TMPRSS2:ERG fusion gene study in prostate cancer. Target inhibition of ERG expression could significantly cause cell growth arrest in prostate cancer cells, which could be a potentially valuable target for prostate cancer treatment. However, the precise mechanism of these results remains unclear; therefore, further studies are required.

Dataset Information

Development of a peptide-based vaccine targeting TMPRSS2:ERG fusion-positive prostate cancer.

Publications

Development of a peptide-based vaccine targeting TMPRSS2:ERG fusion-positive prostate cancer.

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