Novel cancer antigen eef2

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for detecting cancer using a protein expressed in various cancers, and a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of such cancer using the protein as an indicator. Furthermore, the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition containing a cancer antigen peptide derived from the protein. More particularly, the method comprises the step of determining the presence or amount of an eEF2 polypeptide or an eEF2 antibody in a sample obtained from a subject.

1 . A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of cancer in an HLA-A*2402-positive subject, comprising an eEF2 peptide having an amino acid sequence composed of contiguous amino acids derived from an eEF2 protein, wherein the amino acid sequence is selected from the group of:
 (a) Arg Phe Tyr Ala Phe Gly Arg Val Phe (SEQ ID NO:4);   (b) Ala Phe Gly Arg Val Phe Ser Gly Leu (SEQ ID NO:5);   (c) Arg Phe Asp Val His Asp Val Thr Leu (SEQ ID NO:6);   (d) Ala Tyr Leu Pro Val Asn Glu Ser Phe (SEQ ID NO:7); and   (e) an amino acid sequence having substitution, deletion or addition of one or several amino acids in the amino acid sequences as shown in (a) to (d), wherein the eEF2 peptide retains a binding ability to the HLA-A*2402 molecule.   
     
     
         2 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the amino acid sequence is Ala Tyr Leu Pro Val Asn Glu Ser Phe (SEQ ID NO:7). 
     
     
         3 . A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of cancer in a subject comprising a polynucleotide encoding an eEF2 peptide having an amino acid sequence composed of contiguous amino acids derived from an eEF2 protein, wherein the amino acid sequence is selected from the group of:
 (a) Arg Phe Tyr Ala Phe Gly Arg Val Phe (SEQ ID NO:4);   (b) Ala Phe Gly Arg Val Phe Ser Gly Leu (SEQ ID NO:5);   (c) Arg Phe Asp Val His Asp Val Thr Leu (SEQ ID NO:6);   (d) Ala Tyr Leu Pro Val Asn Glu Ser Phe (SEQ ID NO:7); and   (e) an amino acid sequence having substitution, deletion or addition of one or several amino acids in the amino acid sequences as shown in (a) to (d), wherein the eEF2 peptide retains a binding ability to the HLA-A*2402 molecule.   
     
     
         4 . The pharmaceutical composition according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the composition includes a further anticancer drug. 
     
     
         5 . A method for the treatment of cancer, which comprises administering an effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition according to any one of  claims 1  to  3  to an HLA-A*2402-positive subject. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the cancer is chosen from the group of lung adenocarcinoma, small-cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic duct cancer, malignant glioblastoma, malignant lymphoma and head-and-neck squamous cell cancer. 
     
     
         7 . A method for the treatment of a cancer in an HLA A*0201-positive subject, comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of an eEF2 peptide consisting of an amino acid sequence composed of contiguous amino acids of an eEF2 protein, wherein the amino acid sequence is
 Arg Leu Met Glu Pro Ile Tyr Leu Val (SEQ ID NO:8) or Ile Leu Thr Asp Ile Thr Lys Gly Val (SEQ ID NO:11).   
     
     
         8 . A method for the treatment of cancer in a subject, comprising administering to said subject a composition comprising an effective amount of a polynucleotide eEF2 peptide having an amino acid sequence composed of contiguous amino acids derived from an eEF2 protein, wherein the amino acid sequence is selected from the group of:
 (a) Arg Leu Met Glu Pro Ile Tyr Leu Val (SEQ ID NO:8);   (b) Lys Leu Val Glu Gly Leu Lys Arg Leu (SEQ ID NO:9);   (c) Tyr Leu Asn Glu Ile Lys Asp Ser Val (SEQ ID NO:10);   (d) Ile Leu Thr Asp Ile Thr Lys Gly Val (SEQ ID NO:11);   (e) Leu Met Met Tyr Ile Ser Lys Met Val (SEQ ID NO:12);   (f) Lys Leu Pro Arg Thr Phe Cys Gln Leu (SEQ ID NO:13); and   (g) an amino acid sequence having substitution, deletion or addition of one or several amino acids in the amino acid sequences as shown in (a) to (f), wherein the eEF2 peptide retains a binding ability to the HLA-A*2402 molecule.   
     
     
         9 . The method for the treatment of a cancer according to either  claim 7  or  claim 8 , wherein the composition includes a further anticancer drug. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to either  claim 7  or  claim 8 , wherein the cancer is chosen from the group of lung adenocarcinoma, small-cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic duct cancer, malignant glioblastoma, malignant lymphoma and head-and-neck squamous cell cancer.