Genetic immunization of mice with human TRP2 resulted in coat depigmentation as a sign of autoimmune-mediated destruction of melanocytes and provided significant protection against metastatic growth of B16 melanoma Induction of protective immunity was associated with TRP2-reactive antibodies and CD8+ T cells.
We have shown previously that active immunization of mice against the melanocyte differentiation antigen, a tyrosinase-related protein (TRP) gp75(TRP-1) (the brown locus protein) expressed by melanomas, could induce tumor immunity and autoimmunity manifested as depigmentation.
TRP-2 antibody responses provide a linkage between autoimmune responses by vitiligo patients and melanoma patients responding to immunotherapy who have induced hypopigmentation.