Equivalent Induction of Telomerase-specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes from Tumor-bearing Patients and Healthy Individuals

摘要: Although high frequencies of T lymphocytes specific for certain tumor-associated antigens have been detected in some cancer patients, increasing evidence suggests that these cells may be functionally defective vivo and fail to induce meaningful clinical responses. One strategy overcome this limitation is target novel are ignored during the natural antitumor immune response but nevertheless capable triggering effector T-cell responses against tumors after optimal presentation by antigen-presenting cells. Here, we show telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT)—a nearly universal tumor antigen identified epitope deduction rather than from patient responses—is immunologically patients despite progressive burden. Nevertheless, HLA-A2-restricted CTLs hTERT equivalently induced ex healthy individuals efficiently kill human cell lines primary tumors. Thus, telomerase-specific spared functional inactivation because immunological ignorance. These findings support efforts as a with broad therapeutic potential.