Dimerized peptide

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel tumor antigen peptide and its cancer vaccine, specifically, a peptide dimer wherein two peptide monomers consisting of 7-30 amino acids including at least one cysteine residue and being capable of producing a tumor antigen peptide are bound each other through a disulfide bond.

1 . A peptide dimer wherein two peptide monomers each consisting of 7-30 amino acids including at least one cysteine residue and being capable of producing a tumor antigen peptide having CTL-inducing activity are bound each other through a disulfide bond(s).  
     
     
         2 . The peptide dimer according to  claim 1 , which can produce a tumor antigen peptide having a CTL-inducing activity.  
     
     
         3 . The peptide dimer according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein two peptide monomers are bound through one or two disulfide bonds.  
     
     
         4 . The peptide dimer according to  claim 1 , wherein the peptide monomers are derived from WT1 that is an expression product of tumor suppressor gene.  
     
     
         5 . The peptide dimer according to  claim 1 , wherein the peptide monomer is as follows: 
 Cys Xaa Thr Trp Asn Gln Met Asn Xaa (SEQ ID NO: 72)    wherein Xaa at position 2 is an amino acid residue selected from Tyr, Phe, Met and Trp; and Xaa at position 9 is an amino acid residue selected from Phe, Leu, Ile, Trp and Met.    
     
     
         6 . The peptide dimer according to  claim 1 , wherein the peptide monomer is selected from the following peptides.  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (SEQ ID NO: 11) 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Cys Met Thr Trp Asn Gln Met Asn Leu 
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (SEQ ID NO: 18) 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Asp Phe Lys Asp Cys Glu Arg Arg Phe 
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (SEQ ID NO: 19) 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Ala Tyr Pro Gly Cys Asn Lys Arg Tyr 
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (SEQ ID NO: 20) 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Asn Ala Pro Tyr Leu Pro Ser Cys Leu 
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (SEQ ID NO: 21) 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Gly Cys Asn Lys Arg Tyr Phe Lys Leu 
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (SEQ ID NO: 22) 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Arg Trp Pro Ser Cys Gln Lys Lys Phe 
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (SEQ ID NO: 23) 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Asp Ser Cys Thr Gly Ser Gln Ala Leu 
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (SEQ ID NO: 44) 
                     
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Cys Tyr Thr Trp Asn Gln Met Asn Leu 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         7 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a peptide dimer according to  claim 1  together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         8 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 7  which is used as a cancer vaccine.  
     
     
         9 . Use of a peptide dimmer according to any one of  claims 1  to  6   claim 1  in the manufacture of a cancer vaccine.  
     
     
         10 . A method of treating or preventing cancer, which comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide dimer according to  claim 1  to a WT1-positive patient in need thereof.