COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR ACTIVE VACCINATION

摘要

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is treated, not by administration of an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, but by the administration of CD20 itself, or an immunogenic fragment of the extracellular portion thereof, coupled to or administered with an antigenic carrier moiety such as keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). This results in the stimulation of the production of polyclonal antibodies against CD20 (or an immunogenic fragment thereof) which has the effect of reducing the number of B-cells, including malignant B-cells, and thus provides an active vaccine. The same approach can be used for therapeutics for other diseases and conditions in which target cells possess a transmembrane protein, and is particularly applicable to those diseases and conditions for which administration of antibodies to transmembrane proteins or peptides (i.e., passive therapy) have been shown to provide therapeutic benefits, and especially in the situations where the target is also capable of transducing or receiving a signal important for cell growth or function. This would include, for example, Her2/neu, VEGF receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor, the CD19 molecule, interleukin-2-receptor, interleukin-4-receptor, and the P-glycoprotein, also known as the multidrug-resistance protein.