PROJECT

Therapeutic tumor vaccine

Lung cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among all cancers, with over 2 million new cases diagnosed annually. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for more than 80% of all lung cancer cases. Although the introduction of targeted therapies and immunotherapies over the past decade has improved the survival rate for NSCLC, the five-year survival rate remains below 23%.

Therapeutic tumor vaccines represent an emerging approach in anti-tumor immunotherapy. Well-known PD-1 antibody therapies activate anti-tumor immune responses by inhibiting negative regulatory mechanisms. In contrast, the principle behind therapeutic tumor vaccines is to actively enhance these immune responses. Upon administration, the tumor antigens delivered by the vaccine are taken up by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the body, which then activate corresponding CD4 or CD8 T cells via MHC class I or class II molecules to target and destroy tumor cells. These vaccines are designed to target specific antigens while minimizing side effects. The immune response generated by tumor vaccines is robust and long-lasting, allowing for less frequent administration and improved patient compliance. Moreover, tumor vaccines can complement existing therapeutic agents to further enhance treatment effectiveness.
However, tumor antigens are derived from normal cells and generally exhibit weak immunogenicity due to the immune system's tolerance to 'self' antigens. This makes it challenging to activate effective immune responses using traditional methods, which has impeded the development of therapeutic tumor vaccines.
Based on our innovative CY^plus adjuvant technology, we developed a therapeutic lung cancer vaccine (VKD-LMN/CY) using a recombinant viral vector. This vaccine incorporates an advanced adjuvant system that effectively activates the immune response, addressing the challenges posed by the weak immunogenicity of tumor antigens and the tumor's immunosuppressive microenvironment. It demonstrated robust broad-spectrum anti-tumor activity through the co-expression of multiple tumor antigens, thereby targeting tumor heterogeneity effectively.

VKD-LMN/CY is currently in preclinical studies. In mouse models, the survival rate of tumor-bearing subjects has increased by over 100%, significantly outperforming traditional lung cancer vaccine strategies. In primate studies, VKD-LMN/CY has been shown to activate and elicit high-level anti-tumor cellular immune responses.

The intended use of the VKD-LMN/CY lung cancer vaccine is for patients with early-stage lung cancer after surgery to prevent recurrence, as well as for those with advanced lung cancer who have not responded to conventional treatments. This vaccine can also be combined with PD-1 antibody immunotherapy to further enhance the anti-tumor immune response. Given its strong anti-tumor activity and high coverage rate, it may serve as a preventive vaccine for high-risk populations, significantly reducing the overall risk of lung cancer.