Patient-specific white blood cell malignancy vaccine from membrane-proteoliposomes

Abstract

Membrane-proteoliposome structures (MPs) are useful in preparing patient-specific vaccines against specific white blood cell (WBC) malignancies. The inventive MPs typically contain a membrane component derived from a specific WBC. Other useful components include immunostimulators and exogenous lipids. The resulting vaccines are both patient- and malignancy-specific.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A patient-specific vaccine for treating white blood cell malignancy, comprising a membrane-proteoliposome (MP) containing plasma membrane from a malignant white blood cell.  
     
     
         2 . A vaccine according to    claim 1   , wherein said malignant white blood cell is a lymphoma cell.  
     
     
         3 . A vaccine according to    claim 1   , wherein said malignant white blood cell is a leukemia cell.  
     
     
         4 . A vaccine according to    claim 1   , wherein said malignant white blood cell is a myeloma cell.  
     
     
         5 . A membrane-proteoliposome (MP), comprising integral membrane from a malignant white blood cell, at least one immunostimulator and an exogenous lipid.  
     
     
         6 . An MP according to    claim 5   , wherein said membrane contains at least one membrane component involved in immunity.  
     
     
         7 . An MP according to    claim 5   , comprising at least two immunostimulators.  
     
     
         8 . An MP according to    claim 6   , wherein said component is selected from the group consisting of a tumor-specific antigen, a major histocompatability complex antigen and a costimulatory molecule.  
     
     
         9 . An MP according to    claim 8   , wherein said costimulatory molecule is B7. 1 or B7.2.  
     
     
         10 . An MP according to    claim 5   , wherein said immunostimulator is a lymphokine.  
     
     
         11 . An MP according to    claim 10   , wherein said lymphokine is IL-2.  
     
     
         12 . An MP according to    claim 5   , wherein said immunostimulator is an interferon.  
     
     
         13 . An MP according to    claim 12   , wherein said interferon is IFN-γ.  
     
     
         14 . An MP according to    claim 5   , wherein said immunostimulator is a cytokine.  
     
     
         15 . An MP according to    claim 14   , wherein said cytokine is GM-CSF or M-CSF.  
     
     
         16 . An MP according to    claim 5   , wherein said immunostimulator is an adjuvant.  
     
     
         17 . An MP according to    claim 16   , wherein said adjuvant is selected from the group consisting of monophosphoryl lipid A, lipid A and muramyl dipeptide (MDP) lipid conjugate.  
     
     
         18 . An MP according to    claim 5   , wherein said lipid is a saturated or unsaturated phospholipid or a glycolipid.  
     
     
         19 . A MP according to    claim 18   , wherein said lipid is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine, 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, 1,2-dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol, cholesterol and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         20 . An MP according to    claim 5   , wherein said lipid forms a membrane within which said integral membrane is patched.  
     
     
         21 . An MP according to    claim 5   , wherein said lipid forms patches within said integral membrane.