2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Percutaneous Peptide immunization for Human Tumor therapy

Research Project

Project/Area Number	13470170
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Dermatology
Research Institution	HAMAMATSU UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Principal Investigator	TAKIGAWA Masahiro HAMAMATSU UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, Dermatology, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (80115873)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	SEO Naohiro HAMAMATSU UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, Dermatology, Assistant, 医学部, 助手 (50283354)
Project Period (FY)	2001 – 2003
Keywords	CTL / Langerhans' cell / barrier-disrupted skin / percutaneous peptide immunization / regulatory T cell / cancer immunotherapy / melanoma
Research Abstract	Percutaneous peptide immunization is a method in which tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are primed in the lymph nodes and spleen following application of tumor peptides to corneum barrier-disrupted marine skin. Immunized mice are protected against subsequent challenge with corresponding tumors and suppress the growth of established tumors. CTL expansion after peptide application seems to be mediated by epidermal Langerhans' cells. In the human, disruption of permeability barrier by tape stripping also induces activation of epidermal Langerhans' cells. Thus, percutaneous peptide immunization provides a simple and noninvasive means of inducing potent antitumor immunity that may be exploited for cancer immunotherapy in the human.