Azienda Ospedaliero-universitaria Careggi

Lucio Toma

Cristina Nativi

Barbara Richichi

Carlotta Lunghi

A specific antibody against a compound of formula (I) wherein X is O, NH, S, CH; L is a linker that is a divalent spacer; A is an adjuvant or carrier that is an immunogenic molecule or an immunogenic particle; and wherein bonds between linker and saccharide moiety and between linker and carrier are of covalent type; wherein the linker L presents a chemical structure suitable to space the saccharide moiety and the carrier by 7-30 atoms when the adjuvant/carrier A is a biomacromolecule or by 19-30 atoms when the adjuvant/carrier A is a metallic nanoparticle; wherein the carrier/adjuvant A can be selected among a macromolecule, a macrocycle, a dendrimer, a liposome, a nanoparticle, an oligosaccharide featuring from two to five monosaccharidic units or cells like dendritic cells.

Immunogenic synthetic glycoconjugate for the immunotherapy of melanoma

The present invention refers to compounds of formula (I) as useful melanoma vaccines' active ingredients. As a matter of fact, compounds of formula (1) are immunogenic artificial antigens, mimetics of GM3 and GM3 lactone, well known tumor associated antigens (TAAs). In addition, the present invention refers to specific antibodies for compounds of formula (I) which are able to bind to the TAAs. The hereinabove reported compounds and antibodies are therefore potentially useful respectively for the active and passive immunization against tumors over-expressing GM3 ganglioside, in a preferred embodiment melanoma and colon cancer, and for their diagnosis and prognosis.

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Voghera, Italy

Lucio Toma