TF(c)-KLH Conjugate Vaccine

**Semantic type:** Immunologic Factor|Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** A vaccine containing a clustered pancarcinoma carbohydrate antigen, Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen, conjugated with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) with potential antineoplastic activity. TF antigen is a disaccharide epitope (galactose-beta1-3-N-acetylgalactose), normally O-linked to serine or threonine of tumor-associated epithelial mucins. This vaccine contains the TF epitope cluster (c) that is synthesized by linking 3 copies of the TF epitope on a threonine backbone to achieve the essential immunogenic structure. KLH is a hapten carrier and serves as an immunostimulant to improve immune recognition. Vaccination with TF(c)-KLH peptide vaccine may produce antibodies and elicit a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response against those tumor cells expressing TF antigen, resulting in decreased tumor growth.

**Synonyms:** - TF (c)-KLH conjugate vaccine - TF(c)-KLH - vaccine, TF (c)-KLH conjugate - vaccine, TF(c)-KLH conjugate