MURINE ANTI-ID ANTIBODIES FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF MELANOMA

THE LONG RANGE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP AND MARKET MOUSE ANTIIDIOTYPIC (ANTI-ID) MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES (MOAB) WHICH BEAR THE INTERNAL IMAGE OF THE HUMAN HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT-MELANOMA ASSOCIATED ANTIGEN (HMW-MAA) FOR ACTIVE SPECIFIC IMMUNOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH MELANOMA. THIS RESEARCH STEMS FROM INVESTIGATIONS IN BALB/C MICE WHICH HAVE SHOW THAT CONJUGATION TO KLH AND ADMINISTRATION WITH AN ADJUVANT MARKEDLY ENHANCES THE ABILITY OF THE MOUSE ANDI-ID MOAB MK2-23 TO INDUCE HUMORAL AND CELLULAR IMMUNITY TOWARDS THE HMW-MAA. THE SPECIFIC GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF CONJUGATION WITH KLH AND/OR ADMINISTRATION WITH BCG OF MOUSE ANTI-ID MOAB MK2-23 ( WHICH BEARS THE INTERNAL IMAGE OF HMW-MAA) ON THE INDUCTION OF HUMORAL ANTI HMW-MAA IMMUNITY IN PATIENTS WITH MELANOMA AND TO CORRELATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANTI HME-MAA IMMUNITY WITH THE CLINICAL COURSE OF THE DISEASE. THE DATA OBTAINED TO DATE IN MOUSE STUDIES AND LIMITED CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ANTI HMW-MAA IMMUNITY AND PROLONGED PATIENT SURVIVAL. THESE INVESTIGATIONS ARE DESIGNED TO OPTIMIZE THE IMMUNIZATION PROTOCOLS WITH ANTI-ID MOAB AND PROVIDE FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS APPROACH IN THE ACTIVE SPECIFIC IMMUNOTHERAPY OF PATIENTS WITH MELANOMA.