In vitro generation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes against HLA-A2.1-restrictedpeptides derived from human thymidylate synthase

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a pyrimidine antimetabolite active against colorec tal carcinoma and other malignancies of the digestive tract. Over-expressio n or mutation of thymidylate synthase (TS), the target enzyme of the 5-FU m etabolite, 5-fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate, is strictly correlated with cancer cell resistance to 5-FU. On this basis we investigated whether TS is a potential target for active specific immunotherapy of human colon carcin oma, which acquires resistance to 5-FU. Three TS-derived epitope peptides w hich fit defined amino acid consensus motifs for HLA-A2.1 binding were synt hesized and investigated for their ability to induce human TS-specific cyto toxic T cell (CTL) responses in vitro. CTL lines specific for each peptide were established by stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) f rom an HLA-A2.1(+) healthy donor with autologous dendritic cells loaded wit h TS peptide. Specific CTL lines showed HLA-A2.1-restricted cytotoxicity in vitro to HLA-A2.1(+) target cells pulsed with the specific TS peptide and to HLA-class I matching colon carcinoma target cells over-expressing TS enz yme after exposure to 5-FU. Recognition by CTL lines suggests that these TS peptides may be potential candidates for use in a peptide-based vaccine ag ainst 5-FU resistant colon carcinoma.