Immune Responses to Plant-Derived Recombinant Colorectal Cancer Glycoprotein EpCAM-FcK Fusion Protein in Mice
10.4062/biomolther.2022.103
- Author:
Chae-Yeon LIM
1
;
Deuk-Su KIM
;
Yangjoo KANG
;
Ye-Rin LEE
;
Kibum KIM
;
Do Sun KIM
;
Moon-Soo KIM
;
Kisung KO
Author Information
1. Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Biomolecules & Therapeutics
2022;30(6):546-552
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Epidermal cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a tumor-associated antigen (TAA), which has been considered as a cancer vaccine candidate. The EpCAM protein fused to the fragment crystallizable region of immunoglobulin G (IgG) tagged with KDEL endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal (EpCAM-FcK) has been successfully expressed in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi) and purified from the plant leaf. In this study, we investigated the ability of the plant-derived EpCAM-FcK (EpCAM-FcKP ) to elicit an immune response in vivo. The animal group injected with the EpCAM-FcKP showed a higher differentiated germinal center (GC) B cell population (~9%) compared with the animal group injected with the recombinant rhEpCAM-Fc chimera (EpCAM-FcM ). The animal group injected with EpCAM-FcKP (~42%) had more differentiated T follicular helper cells (Tfh) than the animal group injected with EpCAM-FcM (~7%). This study demonstrated that the plant-derived EpCAM-FcK fusion antigenic protein induced a humoral immune response in mice.
