Tella, Inc.

Hokkaido University

Chugai Seiyaku Kabushiki Kaisha

Nepuree Corporation

Takashi Nishimura

Masaki Yasukawa

Yuji Heike

Yuji Togashi

[Problem] To provide a polypeptide which enables stimulation of numerous T cells of different derivation, and to induce strong immunological response against numerous types of cancers. [Solution] Provided is a fused polypeptide that includes a helper epitope derived from the WT1 protein, and a killer epitope derived from the WT1 protein, wherein the polypeptide includes a total of 3 to 6 of the helper epitopes and the killer epitopes per molecule of the fused polypeptide.

WT1 antigenic polypeptide, and anti-tumor agent containing said polypeptide

The object aims to provide: a novel tumor antigen; a novel therapeutic agent useful in a method for treating a malignant neoplasm by utilizing the tumor antigen; and a tumor antigen which can be used as the therapeutic agent. Thus, disclosed are: a novel tumor antigen which has an epitope capable of inducing a Th1 cell which is a CD4-positive T cell specific to Survivin; and use of the tumor antigen. Specifically disclosed is a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO:17 or the like and has an activity to cause the production of a cytokine by a Th cell that is a cell specific to Survivin. The peptide can induce a Th cell that is specific to Survivin and can cause the production of a cytokine by the Sur/Th cell when the peptide is incubated together with an antigen-presenting cell and a CD4-positive T cell.

Uses of partial peptides of survivin and variations thereof

An objective of the present invention is to provide novel therapeutic agents for cancer, which have an excellent antitumor effect in cancer patients by enhancing their immune function. The present inventors discovered that the administration of at IL-6 inhibitor and/or gemcitabine or a salt thereof to tumor-bearing organisms yields an excellent antitumor T cell response-enhancing effect, and completed the present invention. In addition, the present inventors discovered that the T cell response-enhancing effect produces an excellent antitumor effect.

Method of enhancing an antitumor T cell response by administering an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody

A novel process for preparing tumor-specific T cells is disclosed. According to the invention, antitumor-active, tumor-specific T cells are prepared by transducing a TCR gene from a tumor-specific CTL into antitumor-active T cells that have been nonspecifically activated, thus enabling tumor-specific cellular immunotherapy to be carried out from even small amounts of blood. MHC class I-restricted, tumor-specific Th cells are obtained by the method, allowing for the production of cells that react with tumor cells expressing an MHC class I molecule and show a helper activity and an antitumor activity.

Process for producing engineered targeted T cell and medicine

This invention provides a new tumor antigen having an epitope that induces a Th1 cell (a CD4-positive T cell specific to MAGE-A4), and a method ot application thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Sapporo, Japan

Takashi Nishimura