This project is a continuation of studies performed in the previous Projects 1 and 2. We obtained evidence that helper T cell responses and antibody responses to the MUC1 tumor antigen peptide are reduced in MUCITg mice compared to WT mice but when the peptide carried 0-linked GalNac residues, representing hypoglycosylated tumor form of MUC1, MUCITg mice responded equally well as the WT mice. We hypothesize that the difference in responses to the MUC1 peptide versus glycopeptide presented by DC is due to tolerance because MUC1 peptide is perceived as self, while tumor-specific glycopeptide represents abnormal self and thus is perceived as foreign. Similar state of tolerance may characterize MUC1 peptide specific T cells in patients and thus a related hypothesis is that MUC1 glycopeptide is a better vaccine candidate than the peptide that has been used to date. Our third hypothesis is that immune parameters (biomarkers) of efficacy exist as complex signatures of immune activation of DC and T cells and our goal is to identify those that can predict anti-tumor efficacy of MUC1 vaccines. We propose to test these hypotheses in human MUC1 transgenic mice and MUC1 peptide and glycopeptide specific TCR transgenic mice, as well as in rhesus macaques using rhesus MUC1 sequences. We propose the following specific aims:
Specific Aim 1 : We will determine what controls differences in immune responses to the self/tumor antigen MUC1 in MUCITg mice when MUC1 peptide (self?) versus MUC1 glycopeptide (foreign?) are used as antigens and targeted to adjuvant-activated DC.
Specific Aim 2 : We will test different MUC1 vaccines in rhesus macaques The proposed experiments will draw on observations already made or to tte made in the Projects 1 and 3 that identify important parameters of T cell and DC activation. The ultimate goal of Project 2 is to define the next generation of MUC1 vaccines.capable of eliciting an immune response with a predetermined signature of anti-tumor efficacy.

Public Health Relevance

Cancer vaccines based on MUC1 tumor peptides are being tested in patients with adeocarcinomas of the pancreas, lung, breast, colon and others. Responses to different vaccine formulations have been uniformly low. This project aims to define MUC1 vaccines that will have better anti-tumor efficacy while also be safe enough to use in cancer prevention.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01CA168392-05
Application #
8883417
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZCA1)
Program Officer
Yovandich, Jason L
Project Start
2011-09-22
Project End
2017-07-31
Budget Start
2015-08-01
Budget End
2017-07-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pittsburgh
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
004514360
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
15213
Cascio, Sandra; Faylo, Jacque L; Sciurba, Joshua C et al. (2017) Abnormally glycosylated MUC1 establishes a positive feedback circuit of inflammatory cytokines, mediated by NF-?B p65 and EzH2, in colitis-associated cancer. Oncotarget 8:105284-105298
Cascio, Sandra; Finn, Olivera J (2016) Intra- and Extra-Cellular Events Related to Altered Glycosylation of MUC1 Promote Chronic Inflammation, Tumor Progression, Invasion, and Metastasis. Biomolecules 6:
Beatty, Pamela L; van der Geest, Rick; Hashash, Jana G et al. (2016) Immunobiology and immunosurveillance in patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), premalignant precursors of pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Cancer Immunol Immunother 65:771-8
Lohmueller, Jason J; Sato, Shuji; Popova, Lana et al. (2016) Antibodies elicited by the first non-viral prophylactic cancer vaccine show tumor-specificity and immunotherapeutic potential. Sci Rep 6:31740
Finn, Olivera J; Beatty, Pamela L (2016) Cancer immunoprevention. Curr Opin Immunol 39:52-8
Scheid, Elizabeth; Major, Pierre; Bergeron, Alain et al. (2016) Tn-MUC1 DC Vaccination of Rhesus Macaques and a Phase I/II Trial in Patients with Nonmetastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Cancer Immunol Res 4:881-892
Finn, Olivera J; Khleif, Samir N; Herberman, Ronald B (2015) The FDA guidance on therapeutic cancer vaccines: the need for revision to include preventive cancer vaccines or for a new guidance dedicated to them. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 8:1011-6
Marvel, Douglas M; Finn, Olivera J (2014) Global Inhibition of DC Priming Capacity in the Spleen of Self-Antigen Vaccinated Mice Requires IL-10. Front Immunol 5:59
Finn, Olivera J (2014) Vaccines for cancer prevention: a practical and feasible approach to the cancer epidemic. Cancer Immunol Res 2:708-13
Keyel, Peter A; Romero, Matthew; Wu, Wenbo et al. (2014) Methylthioadenosine reprograms macrophage activation through adenosine receptor stimulation. PLoS One 9:e104210

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