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Idiotypic vaccination in B-cell malignancies
1Dipartimento di Medicina e Oncologia Sperimentale, Azienda Ospedaliera San Giovanni Battista di Torino, Italy.
Immunoglobulins contain unique portions, collectively termed idiotypes, that can be recognized by the immune system. Idiotypes expressed by tumor cells in B-cell malignancies can be regarded as tumor-specific antigens and targets for vaccine immunotherapy. Haptens and adjuvants, including cytokines, have been used in several animal models to increase idiotype immunogenicity and establish protective anti-idiotype immunity. These results have been extended by the use of DNA technology, and this has led to the development of a new generation of immunogens, namely fusion proteins and naked-DNA vaccines. The central role of antigen-presenting cells as initiators of anti-idiotype immune responses has also been recognized. Guided by the experimental data, idiotypic vaccination has come into medical use in patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
Immunoglobulins contain unique portions, collectively termed idiotypes, that can be recognized by the immune system. Idiotypes expressed by tumor cells in B-cell malignancies can be regarded as tumor-specific antigens and targets for vaccine immunotherapy. Haptens and adjuvants, including cytokines, have been used in several animal models to increase idiotype immunogenicity and establish protective anti-idiotype immunity. These results have been extended by the use of DNA technology, and this has led to the development of a new generation of immunogens, namely fusion proteins and naked-DNA vaccines. The central role of antigen-presenting cells as initiators of anti-idiotype immune responses has also been recognized. Guided by the experimental data, idiotypic vaccination has come into medical use in patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma.