In oncology, therapeutic cancer vaccines are a modern marvel within cancer research, specifically designed to mobilize the body's defense mechanisms to combat and eliminate cancer cells. Protheragen offers a diverse range of therapeutic cancer vaccine development services tailored to meet the unique needs of each cancer type.
Overview of Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine
Immunotherapies known as therapeutic cancer vaccines focus on stimulating the body's immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells through tumor-specific or tumor-associated antigens. Unlike prophylactic vaccines aimed at infectious diseases, therapeutic cancer vaccines focus on managing an existing malignancy by enhancing antigen-dependent CTL responses to achieve tumor immune elimination.
These vaccines introduce tumor antigens in the form of peptides, nucleic acids, whole cells, or viral vectors, which, together with adjuvants, enable efficient antigen presentation through antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.
Fig.1 Diverse therapeutic cancer vaccine platforms have a common mechanism of action. (Morse M. A.,
et al., 2021)
Development of Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine
The use of immunotherapy in treating various types of solid and liquid tumors has transformed the therapeutic approach to cancer management. Therapeutic cancer vaccines stimulate a precise, long-lasting, and comprehensive immune response, systemically mobilizing the immune system against malignant cells while sparing healthy tissues, with little collateral damage.
Therapeutic vaccines have shown clinical efficacy, especially in combination with ICIs, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy, in melanoma, glioblastoma, prostate cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and cervical cancer.
Table 1. Selected ongoing clinical trials of therapeutic cancer vaccines. (Fan T., et al., 2023)
| Clinical trial |
Target antigen |
Platform |
Adjuvant |
Indication |
Combination therapy |
Investigators |
Start year |
| mRNA cancer vaccine |
| NCT05886439 (phase 1b/2a) |
Neoantigen mRNA |
Autologous DC |
/ |
Incurable lung cancer |
Pembrolizumab or durvalumab |
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences |
2023 |
| NCT05198752 (phase 1) |
Neoantigen mRNA |
Lipopolyplex |
/ |
Multiple solid tumors |
/ |
Stemirna Therapeutics |
2022 |
| NCT04486378 (phase 2) |
Neoantigen mRNA |
LNP |
/ |
Resected Stage II (High Risk) and Stage III Colorectal Cancer |
Pembrolizumab |
BioNTech SE |
2020 |
| NCT03815058 (phase 2) |
Neoantigen mRNA |
LNP |
/ |
Advanced melanoma |
Pembrolizumab |
BioNTech SE |
2019 |
| DNA vaccine |
| NCT03988283 (phase 1) |
Neoantigen DNA |
TDS-IM v2.0 |
/ |
Recurrent brain tumor |
/ |
Washington University School of Medicine |
2023 |
| NCT03548467 (phase 1/2a) |
Neoantigen DNA plasmid |
injection of the DNA plasmid pUMVC4a vector |
Bempegaldesleukin |
Melanoma, NSCLC, RCC, UC, SCCHN |
/ |
Nykode Therapeutics ASA |
2018 |
| NCT05269381 (phase 1) |
Neoantigen peptides |
Not mentioned |
GM-CSF |
Advanced solid tumors |
Pembrolizumab, |
Mayo Clinic |
2022 |
| Peptide vaccine |
| NCT05937295 (phase 1) |
DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion transcript-based peptid |
Montanide ISA 51 VG |
XS15 |
Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma |
Atezolizumab |
University Hospital Tübingen |
2023 |
| NCT05609994 (phase 1) |
IDH1 peptide |
Not mentioned |
/ |
Recurrent IDH1 mutant lower-grade glioma |
Vorasidenib |
Duke University |
2023 |
| NCT03879694 (phase 1) |
Survivin long peptide |
Not mentioned |
GM-CSF, IFA |
Metastatic neuroendocrine tumor |
Octreotide Acetate |
Roswell Park Cancer Institute |
2019 |
| NCT01706458 (phase 2) |
PAP peptide |
autologous DC |
GM-CSF |
Metastatic prostate cancer |
pTVG-HP plasmid DNA vaccine |
University of Wisconsin |
2013 |
Disclaimer: Protheragen focuses on providing preclinical research services. This table is for information exchange purposes only. This table is not a treatment plan recommendation. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.
Our Services
Protheragen offers therapeutic cancer vaccine development services specifically tailored to aid in the progression of cancer immunotherapy. We employ the latest technologies in vaccine development and apply the methodologies that best fit each stage of the process, from antigen identification and validation to preclinical tests, so that all goals are achieved. We retain our industry-leading position by delivering only the highest quality vaccines.
Types of Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine Development
Peptide-Based Cancer Vaccine Development
- Design and synthesis of short and long peptides targeting both TAAs and neoantigens.
- HLA class I/II binding optimization.
- Formulation with immune-stimulatory adjuvants (e.g., Montanide, CpG, Poly I: C).
mRNA Cancer Vaccine Development
- In vitro transcription and capping of non-replicating and self-amplifying mRNA constructs.
- Encapsulation into lipid nanoparticle (LNP) systems for enhanced delivery.
- Codon optimization and UTR stabilization for efficient translation and persistence.
DNA Plasmid Cancer Vaccine Development
- High-yield production of GMP-grade plasmids encoding tumor antigens.
- Electroporation delivery protocols for in vivo uptake.
- Dual-expression cassettes for multi-epitope encoding.
Dendritic Cell Vaccine Development
- Isolation and differentiation of patient-derived monocytes into mature dendritic cells.
- Pulsing with tumor lysates, synthetic peptides, or mRNA.
- Quality control for surface marker expression, viability, and cytokine
Viral/Bacterial Vector-Based Vaccine Development
- Recombinant viral vectors (e.g., adenovirus, lentivirus, vaccinia) expressing tumor antigens.
- Bacterial delivery systems (e.g., Listeria monocytogenes) engineered for cytosolic antigen release.
Protein-Based Cancer Vaccine Development
- Recombinant Protein Design and Expression
- Adjuvant Formulation
- Purification and Quality Control
- Preclinical Validation
Our Platform
| Platform Name |
Primary Function |
Core Technologies & Equipment |
| Antigen Discovery Platform |
Identify tumor-associated and tumor-specific antigens (TAAs, neoantigens) |
Whole Exome Sequencing (WES), RNA-seq, Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), CRISPR screening |
| Bioinformatics & Immunoinformatics |
Predict epitopes, MHC binding, TCR recognition, and neoantigen prioritization |
NetMHCpan, pVACseq, DeepTCR, AI-based TCR-pMHC interaction prediction tools |
| Peptide Synthesis Platform |
Manufacture tumor antigen peptides (short & long) |
Solid-phase peptide synthesizer (SPPS), HPLC purification, and LC-MS quality validation |
| Nucleic Acid Vaccine Platform |
Design and produce mRNA/DNA encoding tumor antigens |
In vitro transcription systems, LNP encapsulation, plasmid prep, and electroporation systems |
| Cell-Based Vaccine Platform |
Generate dendritic cell (DC) or tumor-cell-based vaccines |
GMP-grade cell culture suites, flow cytometry (FACS), MACS sorting, antigen-pulsing chambers |
| Vector Engineering Platform |
Construct viral or bacterial vectors for antigen delivery |
Lentiviral/adenoviral systems, bacterial transformation systems, vector purification units |
| Vaccine Formulation & Delivery |
Prepare final vaccine formulations with adjuvants or delivery systems |
Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) machines, microfluidics, emulsifiers (e.g., Montanide), lyophilization |
| In Vitro Immune Evaluation |
Assess the immunogenicity of vaccines on human or murine cells |
ELISpot, Intracellular Cytokine Staining (ICS), flow cytometry, cytotoxicity assays, cytokine ELISA |
| In Vivo Preclinical Validation |
Evaluate safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy in animal models |
Syngeneic tumor models, humanized mice, IVIS imaging, histopathology, and immune profiling |
Protheragen's team of experts integrates profound scientific understanding with hands-on experience in vaccine development, guaranteeing that every project is crafted for maximum achievability. From formulating peptide-based vaccines for certain cancers to developing personalized therapies using dendritic cells, Protheragen strives to provide pioneering and impactful solutions. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to
contact us.
References
- Morse, Michael A., William R. Gwin III, and Duane A. Mitchell. "Vaccine therapies for cancer: then and now." Targeted oncology 16.2 (2021): 121-152.
- Fan, Ting, et al. "Therapeutic cancer vaccines: advancements, challenges and prospects." Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 8.1 (2023): 450.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
