Quantitative real-time RT-PCR as a method for monitoring T lymphocyte reactivity to full-length tyrosinase protein in vaccinated melanoma patients.

The major goal of therapeutic cancer vaccine trials is to mediate tumor regression. However, it is critically important to devise in vitro immunological assays that correlate with clinical outcome, for use as surrogate markers of vaccine efficacy. To date, clinical emphasis has been placed on peptide vaccines, but trends towards the use of more complex immunogens such as whole proteins require the development of efficient and sensitive methods for monitoring their immunological effects.