Oligopeptides for Immunotherapy Approaches in Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Background: Anti-ovarian cancer vaccines based on minimal immune determinants uniquely expressed in ovarian cancer biomarkers appear to promise a high level of sensitivity and specificity for ovarian cancer immunodiagnostics, immunoprevention, and immunotherapy. Methods: Using the Pir Peptide Match program, three ovarian cancer biomarkers – namely, sperm surface protein Sp17, WAP four-disulfide core domain protein 2, and müllerian-inhibiting substance – were searched for unique peptide segments not shared with other human proteins. Then, the unique peptide segments were assembled to define oligopeptides potentially usable as synthetic ovarian cancer antigens. Results and Conclusion: This study describes a methodology for constructing ovarian cancer biomarkerderived oligopeptide constructs that might induce powerful, specific, and non-crossreactive immune responses against ovarian cancer.