High, broad, polyfunctional, and durable T cell immune responses induced in mice by a novel hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine candidate (MVA-HCV) based on modified vaccinia virus Ankara expressing the nearly full-length HCV genome.

A major goal in the control of hepatitis C infection is the development of a vaccine. Here, we have developed a novel HCV vaccine candidate based on the highly attenuated poxvirus vector MVA (referred to as MVA-HCV) expressing the nearly full-length (7.9-kbp) HCV sequence, with the aim to target almost all of the T and B cell determinants described for HCV. In infected cells, MVA-HCV produces a polyprotein that is subsequently processed into the structural and nonstructural HCV proteins, triggering the cytoplasmic accumulation of dense membrane aggregates. In both C57BL/6 and transgenic HLA-A2-vaccinated mice, MVA-HCV induced high, broad, polyfunctional, and long-lasting HCV-specific T cell immune responses. The vaccine-induced T cell response was mainly mediated by CD8 T cells; however, although lower in magnitude, the CD4(+) T cells were highly polyfunctional. In homologous protocol (MVA-HCV/MVA-HCV) the main CD8(+) T cell target was p7+NS2, whereas in heterologous combination (DNA-HCV/MVA-HCV) the main target was NS3. Antigenic responses were also detected against other HCV proteins (Core, E1-E2, and NS4), but the magnitude of the responses was dependent on the protocol used. The majority of the HCV-induced CD8(+) T cells were triple or quadruple cytokine producers. The MVA-HCV vaccine induced memory CD8(+) T cell responses with an effector memory phenotype. Overall, our data showed that MVA-HCV induced broad, highly polyfunctional, and durable T cell responses of a magnitude and quality that might be associated with protective immunity and open the path for future considerations of MVA-HCV as a prophylactic and/or therapeutic vaccine candidate against HCV.

Complete and sustained objective response per RECIST to Irvalec (PM02734) in undifferentiated large cell esophageal adenocarcinoma: A case report and a review of the literature.

Undifferentiated large cell carcinoma is a rare entity in esophageal cancer and very few data are available in the literature on this uncommon histological subtype. We report a case of a 58-year-old Caucasian male previously treated with cisplatin/5-fluorouracil, docetaxel and carboplatin/plitidepsin who received treatment with a novel antitumor agent, Irvalec (PM02734), as fourth line. The patient received treatment from July 2006 to July 2009, a total of 49 cycles, at a dose of 2.4 mg/m(2) as a 24-hour infusion every 3 weeks. He did not present severe complications or unplanned or cumulative toxicities. Complete and durable response according to RECIST was reported. He was alive at the last follow-up on March 2012.