IMMUNOLOGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC EVALUATION OF A SYNTHETIC PEPTIDE VACCINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC MELANOMA

The cloning of the genes encoding cancer antigens has opened new possi bilities far the treatment of patients with cancer. In this study, imm unodominant peptides from the gp100 melanoma-associated antigen were i dentified, and a synthetic-peptide, designed to increase binding to HL A-A2 molecules, was used as a cancer vaccine to treat patients with me tastatic melanoma. On the basis of immunologic assays, 91% of patients could be successfully immunized with this synthetic peptide, and 13 o f 31 patients (42%) receiving the peptide vaccine plus IL-2 had object ive cancer responses, and four additional patients had mixed or minor responses. Synthetic peptide vaccines based on the genes encoding canc er antigens hold promise for the development of novel cancer immunothe rapies.