IDENTIFICATION OF PEPTIDES FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER - IT IS STILL WORTH THE EFFORT

As the nature of the T cell immune response is defined by T cell recep tor recognition of small protein fragments, referred to as peptides, t he identification of peptides would lead us to understanding and direc ting the T-cell-mediated immune response. Immunogenic peptides might b e used for vaccination and activation of the immune reaction against c ancer-and virus-infected cells. Additionally, the knowledge of immunog enic peptides was expected to lead to blocking of allergic reactions a nd autoimmune diseases. Based on these assumptions, the search for imm unogenic peptides was started in mice and man in the mid-1980s. After a decade of peptide identification and testing in vitro and in vivo, t his may be a proper time to evaluate the results from the peptide-rela ted work and determine the possible applications of this knowledge for the next decade. In this review we discuss the identification of pept ides, their use in murine models, as well as clinical data from peptid e vaccinations or therapies. Potential hazards and limitations of pept ide use in immunotherapy and other possible applications for peptides or peptide motifs in immunotherapy are evaluated.