The invention concerns the optimisation of the wild R9M peptide and the
use of the resulting peptides for therapeutic vaccination and/or
preventive vaccination against leukemia in humans. More particularly, the
invention concerns mutated immunogenic peptides derived from the human
TEL/AML1 fusion protein comprising the wild R9M peptide sequence
Arg-Ile-Ala-Glu-Czs-Ile-Leu-Gly-Met. The invention also concerns
polynucleotides coding for the mutated R9M immunogenic peptides, cellular
expression vectors comprising nucleic acid sequences expressing the
mutated R9M immunogenic peptides and polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies
capable of being fixed on at least one of said peptides/polynucleotides.
The invention further concerns the use of said peptides, polynucleotides
and/or antibodies for preparing vaccines, anti-tumoral medicines and
compositions and for in vitro and in vivo stimulation of the immune
response in humans.