CD4+ T cell responses to SSX-4 in melanoma patients.
Genes of the synovial sarcoma X breakpoint (SSX) family are expressed in different human tumors, including melanomas, but not in adult somatic tissues. Because of their specific expression at the tumor site, SSX-encoded Ags are potential targets for anticancer immunotherapy. In this study, we have analyzed CD4+ T cell responses directed against the Ag encoded by SSX-4. Upon in vitro stimulation of PBMC from four melanoma patients bearing Ag-expressing tumors with a pool of long peptides spanning the protein sequence, we detected and isolated SSX-4-specific CD4+ T cells recognizing several distinct antigenic sequences, mostly restricted by frequently expressed HLA class II alleles. The majority of the identified sequences were located within the Krüppel-associated box domain in the N-terminal region of the protein, indicating a high potential immunogenicity of this region. Together our data document the existence of CD4+ T cells specific for multiple SSX-4 derived sequences in circulating lymphocytes from melanoma patients and encourage further studies to assess the impact of SSX-4-specific T cell responses on disease evolution in cancer patients.[1]References
- CD4+ T cell responses to SSX-4 in melanoma patients. Ayyoub, M., Merlo, A., Hesdorffer, C.S., Rimoldi, D., Speiser, D., Cerottini, J.C., Chen, Y.T., Old, L.J., Stevanovic, S., Valmori, D. J. Immunol. (2005) [Pubmed]
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