Serological response patterns of melanoma patients immunized with a GM2 ganglioside conjugate vaccine

Gangliosides, such as GM2, GD2, GD3, and 9-O-acetyl GD3, are receiving attention as targets for antibody-based and vaccine-based therapies of melanoma. GM2 appears to be a particularly immunogenic ganglioside in humans, as indicated by the presence of naturally occurring IgM anti-GM2 antibodies in approximately 5% of humans and the fact that immunization with irradiated GM2-expressing melanoma cells or purified GM2 adherent to bacillus Calmette-Guérin elicits GM2 antibodies of low to moderate titers in a high proportion of vaccinated patients. To develop vaccines that consistently induce high titers of IgM as well as IgG anti-GM2 antibodies, vaccines containing GM2 conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin as the carrier protein and QS-21 as the adjuvant have been constructed. The serological response of vaccin…