n-glycolylneuraminyllactosylceramide and Breast-Neoplasms

This study aimed to investigate the immunogenicity of a cancer vaccine consisting of the NeuGcGM3 ganglioside combined with the outer membrane protein complex of Neisseria meningitides to form very small size particles. The vaccine is administered together with Montanide ISA51, as adjuvant treatment for breast cancer patients. After surgical resection and standard first-line chemo/radiotherapy, breast cancer patients in stage II-III were enrolled in a phase III clinical trial and allocated into 2 strata, according to the number of positive lymph nodes [stratum I (0-3); stratum II (≥4)]. Subsequently, patients were randomly assigned to receive the vaccine or placebo. The treatment consisted of 5 vaccine doses (200 μg) every 2 weeks and thereafter monthly reimmunizations to complete 15 doses. The vaccine was well-tolerated and high titers of immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G anti-NeuGcGM3 antibodies were similarly detected in each stratum. Hyperimmune sera were able to specifically recognize and kill the NeuGcGM3-expressing L1210 tumor cell line, and these functional capacities were significantly associated with a better clinical outcome in patients of stratum II. Besides, postimmune sera had the capacity to revert in vitro the immunosuppression induced by NeuGcGM3, as measured by the prevention of CD4 downmodulation on human T lymphocytes. Vaccination had no impact on the frequency of regulatory T cells or circulating NK cells. This study demonstrated, for the first time, the immunogenicity of the NeuGcGM3/VSSP/Montanide ISA 51 vaccine in the adjuvant setting and describes the functionality of induced anti-NeuGcGM3 antibodies as potential surrogate biomarkers of clinical benefit.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Antibodies; Apoptosis; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; Biomarkers, Pharmacological; Breast Neoplasms; Cancer Vaccines; Cell Line, Tumor; Female; G(M3) Ganglioside; Humans; Immunity, Humoral; Mannitol; Middle Aged; Neisseria meningitidis; Neoplasm Staging; Oleic Acids; Treatment Outcome

A heterophilic ganglioside cancer vaccine was developed by combining NeuGcGM3 with the outer membrane protein complex of Neisseria meningitidis to form very small size proteoliposomes (VSSP). A phase I clinical trial was performed to determine safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine.. Stage III to IV breast cancer patients received up to 15 (200 micro g) doses of the vaccine by intramuscular injection. The first five doses (induction phase) were given at 2-week intervals, with the remaining treatment (maintenance) administered on a monthly basis.. Twenty-one patients, 11 of whom had metastatic disease, were included. Main toxicities included erythema and induration at the injection site, sometimes associated with mild pain, and low-grade fever (World Health Organization grades 1 and 2). All treated patients who completed the induction phase developed anti-NeuGcGM3 antibody titers between 1:1,280 and 1:164,000 immunoglobulin G (IgG), and 1:640 and 1:164,000 IgM. Noteworthy specific IgA antibodies were induced by vaccination in all stage III patients and in three stage IV patients. Serum antibody levels were higher in the stage III patients, with the larger increases observed after week 32. The antiganglioside IgG subclasses were mainly IgG1 and IgG3. Hyperimmune sera increased complement-mediated cytotoxicity versus P3X63 myeloma cells and a marked IgG differential reactivity against human mammary ductal carcinoma samples.. NeuGcGM3/VSSP/Montanide ISA 51 is an unusual immunogenic ganglioside vaccine and also seems to be safe in this small trial. Immunologic surrogates of activity indicate that this reagent warrants further investigation.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Breast Neoplasms; Cancer Vaccines; Complement System Proteins; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; G(M3) Ganglioside; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Immunohistochemistry; Injections, Intramuscular; Middle Aged; Neisseria meningitidis; Neoplasm Staging; Proteolipids; Remission Induction; Treatment Outcome

14F7 murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) is an IgG1 immunoglobulin that is generated by immunizing Balb/c mice with GM3(NeuGc) ganglioside hydrophobically conjugated with human very-low-density lipoproteins and in the presence of Freund's adjuvants. 14F7 MAb binds specifically to GM3(NeuGc), whereas neither N-glycolyl or N-acetyl gangliosides, nor a sulfated glycolipid, are recognized as assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or immunostaining on thin layer chromatograms. Immunohistochemical studies in fresh tumor tissues showed that 14F7 MAb strongly recognized in antigen expressed in human breast and melanoma tumors.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antibody Specificity; Biomarkers, Tumor; Breast Neoplasms; Cholesterol, VLDL; Female; G(M3) Ganglioside; Glycolipids; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Melanoma; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Organ Specificity

An IgM monoclonal antibody (MAb), named P3, has the characteristic to react specifically with a broad battery of N-glycolyl containing-gangliosides and with antigens expressed on breast tumors. When this MAb was administered alone in syngeneic mice, an specific IgG anti-idiotypic antibody (Ab2) response was induced, this Ab2 response was increased when P3 MAb was injected coupled to a carrier protein and in the presence of Freund's adjuvant. Spleen cells from these mice were used in somatic-cell hybridization experiments, using the murine myeloma cell line P3-X63-Ag8.653 as fusion partner. Five Ab2 MAbs specific to P3 MAb were selected. These IgG1 Ab2 MAbs were able to block the binding of P3 MAb to GM3(NeuGc) ganglioside and to a human breast carcinoma cell line. Cross-blocking experiments demonstrated that these Ab2 MAbs are recognizing the same or very close sites on the Abl MAb. The five Ab2 MAbs were injected into syngeneic mice and four of them produced strong anti-anti-idiotypic antibody (Ab3) response. While these Ab2 MAbs were unable to generate Ab3 antibodies with the same antigenic specificity than P3 MAb, three of them induced antibodies bearing P3 MAb idiotopes (Ag-Id+ Ab3). These results demonstrated that these Ab2 MAbs are not "internal image" antibodies, but they could define "regulatory idiotopes."

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antibody Specificity; Antigens, Neoplasm; Breast Neoplasms; Female; G(M3) Ganglioside; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The appearance of Hanganutziu and Deicher (HD) antibody in the sera of patients suffering from various diseases, including malignancies of some organs and liver disorders, was investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using N-glycolylneuraminyl-lactosylceramide (HD3) and 4-O-acetyl-HD3 as the antigenic molecules. More than 25% of sera from patients suffering from malignancies, cholelithiasis and liver cirrhosis had HD antibody, whereas none of 41 sera from healthy persons had HD antibody. The percentage of HD antibody-positive patients was similar in stages I, II and III of gastric cancer and recurrence cases. Antibody titers of the positive patients in each stage were also not different from those in each other stage. These results indicated that HD antigenic expression on cancerous tissue is not dependent on the cancerous malignancy. The HD antibody level was elevated after surgical removal of cancerous tissues in 5 of 6 patients examined, indicating that tumor growth absorbed the serum antibody. Serum antibody against 4-O-acetyl-HD3 was detected independently of HD3 antibody in some cases; however, in most cases, correlation between the two antibody titers was observed.

Topics: Aged; Antibodies, Heterophile; Antigens, Neoplasm; Breast Neoplasms; Cholelithiasis; Colonic Neoplasms; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Esophageal Neoplasms; Female; G(M3) Ganglioside; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis; Lymphoma; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Stomach Neoplasms