Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone-Based Vaccine, an Effective Candidate for Prostate Cancer and Other Hormone-sensitive Neoplasms

Summary

Prostate growth, development, functions, and neoplastic transformation is androgen dependent. Estrogens have similar effects in the ovary and breast. Previous studies using gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH/LHRH) vaccines have shown the usefulness of immunization against this hormone in prostate (PC) and breast cancer (BC). We have synthesized a peptide mutated at position 6 and attached to the 830–844 tetanic toxoid (TT) helper T cell sequence in the same synthesis process. After repeated pig immunizations, we have demonstrated a vaccine that significantly decreased testes size (p < 0.001), prostate (p < 0.01), seminal vesicles (p < 0.01), and testosterone (T) castration [0.05nM ml⁻¹ (p < 0. 01)]. Similar results were obtained in adult male and female healthy dogs and Macaca fascicularis models. These data indicate that this GnRHml-TT vaccine is safe and able to induce significant tumor growth inhibition in the Dunning R3327-H rat androgen responsive prostate tumor model. In these rats, the immunization induced high anti-GnRH titers concomitant with T castration reduction (p < 0.01) in 90% of the animals tested. In addition, 70% of the responders exhibited tumor growth inhibition (p = 0.02) and a survival rate approximately three times longer that those of untreated rats. These data indicate that GnRHml-TT vaccine may be a potential candidate in the treatment of PC, BC, and other hormone-dependent cancers.