( they then make a complementary DNA (cDN...)Novel antigen-cloning technique may boost efforts to develop a melanoma vaccine

The old approach to cloning antigens adds an additional layer of complexity to the process. It requires knowing which cellular marker, or class II human leukocyte antigen (HLA), serves as a restriction element for specific T cells. Researchers must clone this restriction element and other class II HLA and transfer them into recipient cells, along with the cDNA library.

With her new technique, Herlyn expresses the cDNA library in bacteriophages that are incubated with B cells from the same patient from whom the T cells were derived. Because B cells are antigen-presenting cells, once they have picked up, or "eaten," the phages, the B cells will express the peptides that are encoded by the cDNA library. The new process eliminates the need to transfer the HLA genes into recipient cells and match the genes to each T cell type as it permits the B cells to present the peptide to the T cells in context with their own HLA class II.

Herlyn and her group now plan to use the RPL8 antigen to develop a melanoma vaccine for patients with advanced disease. "And because the RPL8 antigen is expressed by breast cancer and gliomas, we may be able to develop a vaccine that could be used to treat these types of cancer, as well."