Abstract
Background aims. It has been reported that the heparanase epitope can elicit a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated anti-tumor response; however, the potential of the heparanase epitope modified by an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retrieval signal, a C-terminal Lys–Asp–Glu–Leu sequence, is still unknown. Methods. The heparanase epitope was modified by ER retrieval signal, and dendritic cells (DC) were pulsed with the modified peptide. The location and presentation of the modified peptide were detected, and the potential of the anti-tumor response was assessed. Results. The modified peptide could target the ER of DC to form stable major histocompatibility complex (MHC)–peptide complexes. In addition, vaccination with DC pulsed with the modified peptide elicited a robust, specific CTL response, significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the lifespan of the mice. Conclusions. The heparanase epitope modified by ER retrieval signal can be considered an ideal tumor vaccine, and may represent a new strategy for cancer immunotherapy in the clinic.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
Editor's note: The version of this article published in the online issue on 24 September reverted to an earlier, incorrect version. Most notably the author names were listed in the incorrect order: KUN ZHOU, HUAPING ZHU, LIANG HUANG, YANHONG GUO, & YIQUN YAN. This error was corrected in the print version of the article and in the online version on 4 October.