Vaccination with a Bivalent GM2 and GD2 Ganglioside Conjugate Vaccine: A Trial Comparing Doses of GD2-Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin

• Published in: Clinical cancer research Vol. 6; no. 12; pp. 4658 - 4662
• Main Authors: CHAPMAN, Paul B, MORRISEY, Donna, PANAGEAS, Katherine S, WILLIAMS, Linda, LEWIS, Jonathan J, ISRAEL, Robert J, HAMILTON, W. Bradley, LIVINGSTON, Philip O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.12.2000
• Subjects: Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Immunotherapy; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Antineoplastic agent; Human; Bivalent vaccine; Immune response; Sarcoma; Antibody; Maximal dose; Hemocyanin; Toxicity; Vaccination; Malignant tumor; Increasing dose; Treatment; Ganglioside; Immunotherapy; Malignant melanoma; Clinical trial; Remission; Conjugated compound; Comparative study; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 1078-0432; 1557-3265

Immunization with GMK vaccine (G M2 ganglioside conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin mixed with QS-21 adjuvant) induces anti-G M2 antibodies in close to 100% of patients. We found previously that anti-G D2 antibodies could be induced in some patients using G D2 -keyhole limpet hemocyanin + QS-21 (GDK). In this trial, we wished: ( a ) to determine whether immunization with both GMK and GDK vaccines could induce antibodies against both G M2 and G D2 ; and ( b ) to determine the optimal dose of GDK. Thirty-one patients with melanoma or sarcoma who had no evidence of disease after complete surgical resection were immunized with both GMK (30 μg of G M2 ) and GDK on weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 24, and 36. Patients were assigned to one of five GDK dose levels (3, 10, 30, 70, or 130μ g of G D2 ). Anti-G M2 IgM or IgG were induced in 97% of patients. The dose of GDK did not affect the anti-G M2 response, although at the highest GDK dose level, 3 of 7 patients did not make anti-G M2 IgG. GDK was less immunogenic; overall 45% of patients developed either IgM or IgG against G D2 . At GDK doses of 30 or 70 μg, 8 of 11 patients (73%) made either IgM or IgG anti-G D2 antibodies. We conclude that both GMK and GDK vaccines can induce antibodies against G M2 and G D2 in a majority of patients and are safe. The optimal dose of GDK appears to be either 30 or 70μ g when administered with GMK vaccine.