Genetic instability of
tumor cells can result in translation of
proteins that are out of frame, resulting in expression of neopeptides. These neopeptides are not self-
proteins and therefore should be immunogenic. By eluting
peptides from human
glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)
tumor cell surfaces and subjecting them to tandem mass spectrometry, we identified a novel
peptide (KLWGLTPKVTPS) corresponding to a frameshift in the
3' beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 7 (HSD3B7) gene. HLA-binding algorithms predicted that a 9-amino
acid sequence embedded in this
peptide would bind to
HLA-A*0201. We confirmed this prediction using an
HLA-A*0201 refolding assay followed by live cell relative affinity assays, but also showed that the 12-mer binds to
HLA-A*0201. Based on the 9-mer sequence, optimized
peptide ligands (OPL) were designed and tested for their affinities to
HLA-A*0201 and their abilities to elicit anti-
peptide and CTL capable of killing GBM in vitro. Wild-type
peptides as well as OPL induced anti-
peptide CTL as measured by IFN-γ ELISPOTS. These CTL also killed GBM
tumor cells in
chromium-51 release assays. This study reports a new CTL target in GBM and further substantiates the concept that rational design and testing of multiple
peptides for the same
T-cell epitope elicits a broader response among different individuals than single
peptide immunization.