A novel strategy is described to identify and isolate cDNA that encode target antigens of cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for human prostate tumors. Emphasis is placed on antigens shared by different prostate tumors. Such molecules may be the basis for broadly effective vaccines for the prevention and therapy of prostate cancer. The initial focus of these studies are in vitro models in which multiple prostate epithelial tumors have been derived by treatment of the same anchorage dependent, contact inhibited, non-tumorigenic prostate epithelial cell line with different carcinogens or oncogene transformation. In comparison with primary tumors, these in vitro selected tumor lines have the advantage that they have not been subject to immunoselection in vivo This may preserve expression of some potentially important tumor-specific antigens. In addition, the availability of a panel of control cell lines greatly facilitates the design of well-controlled experiments to identify carcinogen independent tumor antigens.
This research is directed at developing vaccines for the prevention and therapy of prostate cancer.
