Polypeptide vaccine

Abstract

We provide a polypeptide vaccine for treatment and prevention of cancer, particularly prevention of metastasis of cancer. Also provided are methods of treating or preventing cancer, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the polypeptide vaccine.

1 .- 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method for the treatment or prevention of cancer, the method comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a polypeptide, wherein the polypeptide is a fragment of an intracellular oncoprotein having between 10 and 150 amino acids, preferably between 10 and 100 amino acids. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the polypeptide stimulates the production of anti-intracellular oncoprotein antibodies in the patient. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the method is a method for preventing or reducing cancer metastasis. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the polypeptide is a fragment comprising an oncogenic mutation. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the polypeptide comprises a plurality of fragments. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the polypeptide comprises a plurality of fragments the same oncoprotein. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the polypeptide comprises a plurality of fragments from two or more oncoproteins. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the patient has a primary cancer that expresses the intracellular oncoprotein. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the polypeptide is a fragment of an intracellular oncoprotein selected from the group VHZ, estrogen receptor (ER), an HBV protein, HBV X-protein, PRL-1 and Her2. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the polypeptide is a fragment of VHZ. 
     
     
         35 . The method of claim  1 , in which the cancer is selected from the group consisting of: breast cancer, hepatocellular cancer, acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), adrenocortical cancer, anal cancer, bladder cancer, blood cancer, bone cancer, brain tumor, cancer of the female genital system, cancer of the male genital system, central nervous system lymphoma, cervical cancer, childhood rhabdomyosarcoma, childhood sarcoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CIVIL), colon and rectal cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, endometrial sarcoma, esophageal cancer, eye cancer, gallbladder cancer, gastric cancer, gastrointestinal tract cancer, hairy cell leukemia, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin's disease, hypopharyngeal cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, kidney cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, leukemia, liver cancer, lung cancer, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, malignant thymoma, melanoma, mesothelioma, multiple myeloma, myeloma, nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, nervous system cancer, neuroblastoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, oral cavity cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, osteosarcoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, parathyroid cancer, penile cancer, pharyngeal cancer, pituitary tumor, plasma cell neoplasm, primary CNS lymphoma, prostate cancer, rectal cancer, respiratory system, retinoblastoma, salivary gland cancer, skin cancer, small intestine cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, stomach cancer, stomach cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, urinary system cancer, uterine sarcoma, vaginal cancer, vascular system, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia and Wilms' tumor. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the method comprises:
 a) identifying an intracellular oncoprotein specific to the patients cancer;   b) administering a fragment of between 10 and 150 amino acids of that oncoprotein to the patient.   
     
     
         37 . A method for treating or preventing cancer in a person, the method comprising:
 a) determining whether a person is suffering from, or likely to develop, a cancer associated with an intracellular oncoprotein;   b) administering to that person a fragment of that intracellular oncoprotein or peptide based on a fragment of that intracellular oncoprotein, the fragment or peptide being between 10 and 150 amino acids in length   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the person is administered with the intracellular oncoprotein fragment or peptide before they develop the cancer. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the person is administered with a further dose of the intracellular oncoprotein fragment or peptide. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the patient is induced to produce antibodies against the oncoprotein. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the intracellular oncoprotein is selected from the group VHZ, estrogen receptor (ER), an HBV protein, HBV X-protein, PRL-1 and Her2. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to claim  17  wherein the polypeptide is a fragment of VHZ. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the person is identified as being likely to suffer from a cancer associated with an intracellular oncoprotein by assessing the prevalence of the cancer in family members.