Identification of Peptides for Immunotherapy of Cancer. It is Still Worth the Effort

Abstract

As the nature of the T cell immune response is defined by T cell receptor recognition of small protein fragments, referred to as peptides, the identification of peptides would lead us to understanding and directing the T-cell-mediated immune response. Immunogenic peptides might be used for vaccination and activation of the immune reaction against cancer- and virus-infected cells. Additionally, the knowledge of immunogenic peptides was expected to lead to blocking of allergic reactions and autoimmune diseases. Based on these assumptions, the search for immunogenic peptides was started in mice and man in the mid-1980s. After a decade of peptide identification and testing in vitro and in vivo, this may be a proper time to evaluate the results from the peptide-related work and determine the possible applications of this knowledge for the next decade. In this review we discuss the identification of peptides, their use in murine models, as well as clinical data from peptide vaccinations or therapies. Potential hazards and limitations of peptide use in immunotherapy and other possible applications for peptides or peptide motifs in immunotherapy are evaluated.