Specific humoral immune response to the Thomsen-Friedenreich tumor antigen (CD176) in mice after vaccination with the commensal bacterium Bacteroides ovatus D-6

Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2013 May;62(5):875-87. doi: 10.1007/s00262-013-1394-x. Epub 2013 Feb 5.

Abstract

The tumor-specific Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (TFα, CD176) is an attractive target for a cancer vaccine, especially as TF-directed antibodies play an important role in cancer immunosurveillance. However, synthetic TF vaccines have not overcome the low intrinsic immunogenicity of TF. Since natural TF-directed antibodies present in human sera are generated in response to microbes found in the gastrointestinal tract, microbial TF structures are obviously more immunogenic than synthetic TF. We recently isolated a new strain (D-6) of the human gut bacterium Bacteroides ovatus, which carries the true TFα antigen. Here, we present experimental data on the immunogenicity of this strain. Mice immunized with B. ovatus D-6 in the absence of adjuvants developed specific anti-TFα IgM and IgG antibodies which also bound to human cancer cells carrying TFα. Our data suggest that B. ovatus D-6 presents a unique TFα-specific immunogenicity based on a combination of several inherent properties including: expression of the true TFα antigen, clustering and accessible presentation of TFα as repetitive side chains on a capsular polysaccharide, and intrinsic adjuvant properties. Therefore, B. ovatus strain D-6 is an almost perfect candidate for the development of the first adjuvant-free TFα-specific anti-tumor vaccine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / metabolism*
  • Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / immunology*
  • Bacteroides / metabolism*
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / microbiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Humoral*
  • Immunoglobulin G / chemistry
  • Immunoglobulin M / chemistry
  • Infusions, Parenteral
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C3H
  • Stomach / microbiology

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate
  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Epitopes
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen