A bivalent conjugate vaccine in the treatment of biochemically relapsed prostate cancer: a study of glycosylated MUC-2-KLH and Globo H-KLH conjugate vaccines given with the new semi-synthetic saponin immunological adjuvant GPI-0100 OR QS-21

• Published in: Vaccine 2005-05, Vol.23 (24), p.3114-3122
• Main Authors: Slovin, Susan F., Ragupathi, Govind, Fernandez, Celina, Jefferson, Matthew P., Diani, Meghan, Wilton, Andrew S., Powell, Shemeeakah, Spassova, Maria, Reis, Celso, Clausen, Henrick, Danishefsky, Samuel, Livingston, Philip, Scher, Howard I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Adjuvants, Immunologic - adverse effects; Adjuvants, Immunologic - therapeutic use; Age; Aged; Antigens; Applied microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Cancer therapies; Cancer Vaccines - adverse effects; Cancer Vaccines - immunology; Cancer Vaccines - therapeutic use; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fever; Flow Cytometry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Globo H; Glycolipid; GPI-0100; Humans; Immunization Schedule; Immunotherapy; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Molecular weight; MUC-2; Mucin; Patients; Prostate cancer; Prostate-Specific Antigen - analysis; Prostatic Neoplasms - therapy; PSA; QS21; Radiation therapy; Recurrence; Saponin; Saponins - adverse effects; Saponins - therapeutic use; Toxicity; Tumors; Vaccines; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects); Vaccines, Conjugate - adverse effects; Vaccines, Conjugate - immunology; Vaccines, Conjugate - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2005.01.072

GPI-0100 is a semi-synthetic saponin with modifications designed to augment stability and diminish toxicity. Two batches of GPI-0100 (the second with higher purity) were tested with doses ranging between 100 and 5000 μg in groups of five treated prostate cancer patients who had no evidence of disease except for rising PSA levels. GPI-0100 was mixed with a bivalent vaccine containing the glycolipid Globo H and the glycosylated mucin MUC2 conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). All doses were well tolerated and antibody titers against Globo H and MUC-2 escalated with the increasing dose levels. At the 5000 μg dose level in this patient population, toxicity remained minimal with only occasional grade II local toxicity at vaccination sites and occasional sporadic grade I elevations in ALT. Compared with a subsequent trial with the same bivalent vaccine plus QS-21 at the maximal tolerated dose of 100 μg, the 5000 μg dose of GPI-0100 produced comparable antibody titers.