Tumor regressions observed in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with an antigenic peptide encoded by gene MAGE-3 and presented by HLA-A1
M Marchand, N van Baren, P Weynants, V Brichard, B Dréno, M H Tessier, E Rankin, G Parmiani, F Arienti, Y Humblet, A Bourlond, R Vanwijck, D Liénard, M Beauduin, P Y Dietrich, V Russo, J Kerger, G Masucci, E Jäger, J De Greve, J Atzpodien, F Brasseur, P G Coulie, P van der Bruggen, T Boon, M Marchand, N van Baren, P Weynants, V Brichard, B Dréno, M H Tessier, E Rankin, G Parmiani, F Arienti, Y Humblet, A Bourlond, R Vanwijck, D Liénard, M Beauduin, P Y Dietrich, V Russo, J Kerger, G Masucci, E Jäger, J De Greve, J Atzpodien, F Brasseur, P G Coulie, P van der Bruggen, T Boon
Abstract
Thirty-nine tumor-bearing patients with metastatic melanoma were treated with 3 subcutaneous injections of the MAGE-3.A1 peptide at monthly intervals. No significant toxicity was observed. Of the 25 patients who received the complete treatment, 7 displayed significant tumor regressions. All but one of these regressions involved cutaneous metastases. Three regressions were complete and 2 of these led to a disease-free state, which persisted for more than 2 years after the beginning of treatment. No evidence for a cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) response was found in the blood of the 4 patients who were analyzed, including 2 who displayed complete tumor regression. Our results suggest that injection of the MAGE-3.A1 peptide induced tumor regression in a significant number of the patients, even though no massive CTL response was produced.
Source: PubMed