RE:Versatile vaccine platform against enveloped viruses Another interesting cancer tumour vaccine story:(out of Montreal as well)
Defence says vaccine cured 80% of animals with lymphoma
2022-09-21 10:19 ET - News Release
Mr. Sebastien Plouffe reports
BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS WITH ACCUM(TM) A1-REPROGRAMMED MSC, MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS, IN A NOVEL VACCINE CURED 80% OF ANIMALS WITH PRE-ESTABLISHED LYMPHOMA
Defence Therapeutics Inc. says its novel vaccine candidate triggers a potent anti-tumoural response capable of curing animals with pre-established lymphoma.
Antigen presentation is a crucial step for the initiation of an immune response against a given cancer cell, foreign agent or pathogen. For cancer, this entails priming cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), a form of a white blood cell educated to attack a specific target on cancer cell surfaces. Defence's objective is to develop a novel therapeutic and an unlimited supply of antigen presenting cells capable of eliciting potent anti-cancer responses while limiting all manufacturing-associated pitfalls.
By reprogramming innate mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to behave as antigen presenting cells, the Defence team was able to cure animals with pre-established lymphoma. Defence's novel breakthrough vaccine presents itself as an off-the-shelf universal vaccine (it is allogeneic to the recipient); the therapeutic effect observed with this vaccination strategy synergized with the immune-checkpoint blocker anti-PD-1. The results are that all animals survived the therapy; the great majority, 80 per cent, of these animals rejected the tumour and remain tumour free. "The Accum technology platform continues to impress with its versatility and continued positive therapeutic results. With this vaccine technology and the Accum in hand, Defence can design and create a multitude of vaccine products that can target several solid and liquid cancer indications given further research and development," says Sebastien Plouffe, chief executive officer of Defence Therapeutics.
Studies are currently continuing to rechallenge cured animals with the same tumour as a means to demonstrate long-lasting anti-tumoural memory response. In parallel, Defence is actively working on its CMC protocol to manufacture its A1-MSC ARM vaccine in preparation of a phase 1 trial in patients with melanoma.
Additional information
The preclinical studies have been completed at Dr. Moutih Rafei's lab at the Universite de Montreal. Dr. Rafei is Defence vice-president research and development; he has led, reviewed and approved the scientific disclosure contained in this press release. Dr. Rafei has a PhD in experimental medicine from McGill University and received his postdoctoral training at the Universite de Montreal. He is an immune-oncologist who specializes in the fields of T-cell development, stem cell biology, cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune diseases.