| title: |
Humoral immune response to tumor-associated MUC1 mucin and cross-reactive carbohydrate epitopes (alpha-Gal, T) in patients with cancer: relation to the clinical outcome |
| reg no: |
ETF5436 |
| project type: |
Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
3. Medical Sciences
|
| status: |
completed |
| institution: |
Estonian Institute of Experimental & Clinical Medicine |
| head of project: |
Oleg Kurtenkov |
| duration: |
01.01.2003 - 31.12.2005 |
| description: |
We plan to test the idea of whether humoral immune response to tumor-associated MUC1 mucin and carbohydrate antigens (Tn, T ja Gal alpha1,3Gal beta1-4GlcNAc-R) is beneficial for radically operated patients with various cancers. The point is that natural antibodies to alpha-Gal and T epitopes can cross-react with MUC1. Thus the known broad interindividual variations in the levels of natural antibodies to these cancer related antigens may influence the clinical outcome of the disease and the survival of patients with cancer. We plan (i) to study the interrelationships between the humoral immune response to MUC1 mucin and to carbohydrate epitopes in patients with cancer and benign disorders; (ii) to investigate the cross-reactivity of anti-MUC1 and anti-carbohydrate antibodies; and (iii) to study possible impact of anti-MUC1 and anti-carbohydrate antibodies on the level of circulating MUC1; (iv) to evaluate the clinical relevance of anti-MUC1 and anti-carbohydrate epitope antibodies: whether the variations in their levels are beneficial or detrimental for the host. The results will help to clarify a role of natural antibodies in the resistance against cancer and to optimize immunotherapeutic regimens with muccine type vaccines. |