Regulation of Murine Ovarian Epithelial Carcinoma by Vaccination against the Cytoplasmic Domain of Anti-Müllerian Hormone Receptor II

J Immunol Res. 2015:2015:630287. doi: 10.1155/2015/630287. Epub 2015 Nov 5.

Abstract

Anti-Müllerian hormone receptor, type II (AMHR2), is a differentiation protein expressed in 90% of primary epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOCs), the most deadly gynecologic malignancy. We propose that AMHR2 may serve as a useful target for vaccination against EOC. To this end, we generated the recombinant 399-amino acid cytoplasmic domain of mouse AMHR2 (AMHR2-CD) and tested its efficacy as a vaccine target in inhibiting growth of the ID8 transplantable EOC cell line in C57BL/6 mice and in preventing growth of autochthonous EOCs that occur spontaneously in transgenic mice. We found that AMHR2-CD immunization of C57BL/6 females induced a prominent antigen-specific proinflammatory CD4+ T cell response that resulted in a mild transient autoimmune oophoritis that resolved rapidly with no detectable lingering adverse effects on ovarian function. AMHR2-CD vaccination significantly inhibited ID8 tumor growth when administered either prophylactically or therapeutically, and protection against EOC growth was passively transferred into naive recipients with AMHR2-CD-primed CD4+ T cells but not with primed B cells. In addition, prophylactic AMHR2-CD vaccination of TgMISIIR-TAg transgenic mice significantly inhibited growth of autochthonous EOCs and provided a 41.7% increase in mean overall survival. We conclude that AMHR2-CD vaccination provides effective immunotherapy of EOC with relatively benign autoimmune complications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / transplantation
  • Cancer Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Cancer Vaccines / adverse effects
  • Carcinoma / genetics
  • Carcinoma / immunology*
  • Carcinoma / prevention & control
  • Cell Growth Processes
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Epithelial Cells / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Oophoritis / etiology
  • Oophoritis / prevention & control*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Protein Engineering
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary / genetics
  • Receptors, Peptide / genetics
  • Receptors, Peptide / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / genetics
  • Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Proteins / administration & dosage*

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Receptors, Peptide
  • Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • anti-Mullerian hormone receptor