Abstract
Immunotherapy with cancer-testis antigen is expected as a new therapy for cancer. We studied the expression of MAGE-A4 antigen in head and neck cancers, and planned a clinical trial with MAGE-A4 peptide. The expression of MAGE-A4 in head and neck cancer specimens in our department was observed in 29 of 75 (38.9%) by real-time PCR methods. Based on the results of our study, we planned a first-phase clinical trial of combined immunotherapy with MAGE-A4 peptide and cultured T lymphocyte for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. After standard chemotherapy (CDDP 70mg/m2, 5FU 700mg/m2 × 5 days), cultured peripheral T lymphocyte (1 × 109 to 9 × 109 cells/ml) and MAGE-A4 peptide bound to HLA-A*2402 by subcutaneous injection was administered. We treated a case of pharyngeal cancer safely without side effects related with MAGA-A4 peptide, and MRI showed the efficacy of the therapy. Spots of MAGE-A4 peptide-specific T lymphocyte were increased by ELISPOT after two cycles of peptide injection.
