HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Haupt, K. Articles by Mann, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Haupt, K. Articles by Mann, K.

---

MINIREVIEW

The Potential of DNA Vaccination against Tumor-Associated Antigens for Antitumor Therapy

Katharina Haupt^*,1, Michael Roggendorf and Klauss Mann

^* Division of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Internal Medicine,
Institute for Virology, and
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany

Conventional treatment approaches for malignant tumors are highly invasive and sometimes have only a palliative effect. Therefore, there is an increasing demand to develop novel, more efficient treatment options. Increased efforts have been made to apply immunomodulatory strategies in antitumor treatment. In recent years, immunizations with naked plasmid DNA encoding tumor-associated antigens have revealed a number of advantages. By DNA vaccination, antigen-specific cellular as well as humoral immune reponses can be generated. The induction of specific immune responses directed against antigens expressed in tumor cells and displayed e.g., by MHC class I complexes can inhibit tumor growth and lead to tumor rejection. The improvement of vaccine efficacy has become a critical goal in the development of DNA vaccination as antitumor therapy. The use of different DNA delivery techniques and coadministration of adjuvants including cytokine genes may influence the pattern of specific immune responses induced. This brief review describes recent developments to optimize DNA vaccination against tumor-associated antigens. The prerequisite for a successful antitumor vaccination is breaking tolerance to tumor-associated antigens, which represent ``self-antigens.'' Currently, immunization with xenogeneic DNA to induce immune responses against self-molecules is under intensive investigation. Tumor cells can develop immune escape mechanisms by generation of antigen loss variants, therefore, it may be necessary that DNA vaccines contain more than one tumor antigen. Polyimmunization with a mixture of tumor-associated antigen genes may have a synergistic effect in tumor treatment. The identification of tumor antigens that may serve as targets for DNA immunization has proceeded rapidly. Preclinical studies in animal models are promising that DNA immunization is a potent strategy for mediating antitumor effects in vivo. Thus, DNA vaccines may offer a novel treatment for tumor patients. DNA vaccines may also be useful in the prevention of tumors with genetic predisposition. By DNA vaccination preventing infections, the development of viral-induced tumors may be avoided.

Key Words: DNA vaccination • immunotherapy • tumor • immune response

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Zeira, A. Manevitch, Z. Manevitch, E. Kedar, M. Gropp, N. Daudi, R. Barsuk, M. Harati, H. Yotvat, P. J. Troilo, et al. Femtosecond laser: a new intradermal DNA delivery method for efficient, long-term gene expression and genetic immunization FASEB J, November 1, 2007; 21(13): 3522 - 3533. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Xiang, N. Mizutani, Y. Luo, C. Chiodoni, H. Zhou, M. Mizutani, Y. Ba, J. C. Becker, and R. A. Reisfeld A DNA Vaccine Targeting Survivin Combines Apoptosis with Suppression of Angiogenesis in Lung Tumor Eradication Cancer Res., January 15, 2005; 65(2): 553 - 561. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]