Rapid induction of primary human CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell responses against cancer-associated MUC1 peptide epitopes

Antigen-specific MHC class II- and class I-restricted helper and cytotoxic T cell responses are important anti-cancer immune responses. MUC1 mucin is a potentially important target for immunotherapy because of its high expres sion on most human adenocarcinomas. MUC1 peptide-specific type 1 T cell res ponses were generated in vitro using human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PB L), incubated with liposomes containing synthetic MUC1 lipopeptide antigen. Only two weekly stimulations with the liposomal MUC1 formulation led to th e generation of potent anti-MUC1-specific T cell proliferation as well as c lass I-restricted cytotoxic responses. Thus the use of PBL pulsed with lipo some-encapsulated antigen provides an effective approach of rapidly generat ing effective antigen-presenting cell (APC) function as well as antigen spe cific T cells in vitro. It may be feasible to use this technology for the r apid and effective generation of APC and/or T cells as cellular vaccines fo r adenocarcinomas.