Long Prime–Boost Interval and Heightened Anti-GD2 Antibody Response to Carbohydrate Cancer Vaccine

Abstract

The carbohydrate ganglioside GD2/GD3 cancer vaccine adjuvanted by β-glucan stimulates anti-GD2 IgG1 antibodies that strongly correlate with improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among patients with high-risk neuroblastoma. Thirty-two patients who relapsed on the vaccine (first enrollment) were re-treated on the same vaccine protocol (re-enrollment). Titers during the first enrollment peaked by week 32 at 751 ± 270 ng/mL, which plateaued despite vaccine boosts at 1.2–4.5 month intervals. After a median wash-out interval of 16.1 months from the last vaccine dose during the first enrollment to the first vaccine dose during re-enrollment, the anti-GD2 IgG1 antibody rose to a peak of 4066 ± 813 ng/mL by week 3 following re-enrollment (p p = 0.01). A longer prime–boost interval could significantly improve antibody responses in patients treated with ganglioside conjugate cancer vaccines.

Keywords

• ganglioside GD2/GD3 carbohydrate vaccine
• high-risk neuroblastoma
• anti-GD2 IgG1 titer
• beta-glucan
• dectin-1 SNP rs3901533