Cancer antigens and utilization thereof

• US 20060251666A1
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medinet Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Medinet Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishimura, Yasuharu, Nakatsura, Tetsuya
• Application Number:
  US10/525,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20060251666A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/185.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2239/50 Colon
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/00 Medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies materials for immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/46 Cellular immunotherapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/4611 T-cells, e.g. tumor infiltrating lymphocytes [TIL], lymphokine-activated killer cells [LAK] or regulatory T cells [Treg]
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/464476 Heat shock proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/04 for ulcers, gastritis or reflux esophagitis, e.g. antacids, inhibitors of acid secretion, mucosal protectants
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/16 for liver or gallbladder disorders, e.g. hepatoprotective agents, cholagogues, litholytics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/18 for pancreatic disorders, e.g. pancreatic enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 11/00 Drugs for disorders of the respiratory system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 13/08 of the prostate
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 13/10 of the bladder
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 13/12 of the kidneys
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 15/00 Drugs for genital or sexual disorders for disorders of sex hormones A61P5/24; Contraceptives
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 17/00 Drugs for dermatological disorders
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/00 Drugs for disorders of the nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/02 specific for leukemia
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/04 specific for metastasis
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 37/04 Immunostimulants
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 43/00 Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 5/14 : of the thyroid hormones, e.g. T3, T4
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/4748 : Tumour specific antigens; Tumour rejection antigen precursors [TRAP], e.g. MAGE
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/57419 : of colon
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/57438 : of liver, pancreas or kidney

Abstract

An object of the present invention to provide: a human pancreatic cancer antigen and/or a human colon cancer antigen that can be applied to the diagnosis and/or treatment of various types of cancers or tumors including pancreatic cancer and colon cancer as representative examples; a gene encoding the same; an anti-cancer vaccine using the same; or the like. The present invention provides a cancer antigen comprising a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1; a peptide comprising a portion of said protein and having immune-stimulating activity; an anti-cancer vaccine comprising said peptide; a DNA having the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, or its complementary sequence or a part or full length of these sequence; an anti-cancer vaccine comprising said DNA; and use thereof.

Claims

1. A cancer antigen comprising a protein of any of the following (A) or (B):

(A) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1;

or

(B) a protein having an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1, and also having immune-stimulating activity.

2. An immune-stimulating agent used for cancers, which comprises the cancer antigen of claim 1.

3. A peptide comprising a portion of the cancer antigen of claim 1 and having immune-stimulating activity.

4. The peptide of claim 3 which can activate cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognizing a cancer antigen protein.

5. The peptide of claim 3 which has the amino acid sequence shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS:

3 to 22.

8. An immune-stimulating agent used for cancers, which comprises the peptide of claim 3.

9. A DNA encoding the cancer antigen of claim 1.

11. An antibody against a cancer antigen comprising a protein of any of the following (A) or (B):

(A) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1;

or

(B) a protein having an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1, and also having immune-stimulating activity or the peptide of claim 3.

12. A helper T cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, or an immunocyte population comprising these cells, which are induced by in vitro stimulation using a cancer antigen comprising a protein of any of the following (A) or (B):

(A) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1;

or

(B) a protein having an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1, and also having immune-stimulating activity or the peptide of claim 3 or a mixture thereof.

13. A helper T cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, or an immunocyte population comprising these cells, which are induced by in vitro stimulation using a cancer antigen comprising a protein of any of the following (A) or (B):

(A) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1;

or

(B) a protein having an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1, and also having immune-stimulating activity or the peptide of claim 3 or a mixture thereof, and an immune activator.

14. The helper T cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes or the immunocyte population comprising these cells according to claim 13, wherein the immune activator is a cell growth factor or cytokine.

15. A method for suppressing a tumor, which comprises introducing the helper T cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, or the immunocyte population comprising these cells of claim 12 into a body.

16. The method of claim 15 which is used to prevent and/or treat cancers.

17. A cell culture solution used to produce the helper T cells or cytotoxic T lymphocytes or an immunocyte population comprising these cells of claim 12, which comprises a cancer antigen comprising a protein of any of the following (A) or (B):

(A) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1;

or

(B) a protein having an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1, and also having immune-stimulating activity or a peptide, or a mixture thereof.

18. A cell culture kit for producing the helper T cells or cytotoxic T lymphocytes or an immunocyte population comprising these cells of claim 12, which comprises a cell culture solution and a cell culture vessel.

19. A cancer vaccine comprising a cancer antigen comprising a protein of any of the following (A) or (B):

(A) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1;

or

(B) a protein having an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1, and also having immune-stimulating activity and/or at least one type of peptide of claim 3.

20. The cancer vaccine of claim 19 which further comprises an adjuvant.

21. A cancer vaccine, which comprises the DNA of claim 9 or recombinant virus or recombinant bacteria comprising said DNA.

22. The cancer vaccine of claim 21 which further comprises an adjuvant.

23. A probe for diagnosing cancers, which comprises the DNA of claim 9.

24. An agent for diagnosing cancers, which comprises the cancer diagnostic probe of claim 23 and/or an antibody.

25. An agent for preventing and/or treating cancers, which comprises a cancer antigen comprising a protein of any of the following (A) or (B):

(A) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1;

or

(B) a protein having an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

1, and also having immune-stimulating activity, the peptide of claim 3, an antibody, and/or helper T cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes or immunocyte population comprising these cells.

26. The probe of claim 23 wherein the cancer is pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, brain tumor, malignant melanoma, chronic myelocytic leukemia, acute myelocytic leukemia, lymphoma, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, prostatic cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, stomach cancer, hepatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, testicular cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, thyroid cancer, bladder cancer, or sarcoma.

6. A peptide, which has an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS:

3 to 22, and has immune-stimulating activity.

7. The peptide of claim 6 which can activate cytotoxic T lymphocytes which recognize a cancer antigen protein.

10. A DNA of any one of the following (a), (b), and (c):

(a) DNA having the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

2;

(b) DNA hybridizing with the DNA having the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO;

2 under stringent conditions, and encoding a protein having immune-stimulating activity; and

(c) DNA having a partial sequence of the DNA of (a) or (b) above, and encoding a protein having immune-stimulating activity.