Immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of two-dose adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit vaccine in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in South Korea: a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit vaccine has shown good efficacy and safety in the general population. However, its effectiveness has not been comprehensively assessed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit vaccine in patients with SLE. METHODS: This single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, trial was done at the rheumatology outpatient clinic at Seoul National University Hospital, South Korea. Patients (aged ≥19 years) with clinically stable SLE and previous exposure (≥4 weeks) to immunosuppressive drugs were randomly assigned (4:1) via a central interactive web response system to receive herpes zoster subunit vaccine or placebo (0·5 mL intramuscular injection) at weeks 0 and 8. Investigators and participants were masked to intervention and group assignment. Anti-glycoprotein E antibody titres and glycoprotein E-specific cell-mediated vaccine responses were evaluated at baseline and at week 8 after the first dose, and at week 4, week 26, and week 52 after the second dose using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Reactogenicity, SLE disease activity, including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 and British Isles Lupus Assessment Group-flare rate, were examined. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with a positive humoral vaccine response 4 weeks after the second dose. The primary and safety analyses were done in a modified intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06001606. FINDINGS: Between June 14, and July 19, 2023, 65 patients with SLE were enrolled, of whom 52 were randomly assigned to the herpes zoster subunit vaccine and 13 to placebo. 49 patients in the vaccine group and 11 patients in the placebo group were included in the modified intention-to-treat population. 56 (93%) of 60 patients were women and four (7%) were men. Mean age was 48·7 years (SD 11·4). The proportion of participants with a humoral vaccine response at 4 weeks after the second dose was significantly higher in the vaccine group (48 [98%] of 49 participants) than the placebo group (none [0%] of 11 patients; p<0·0001). More patients in the vaccine group than placebo group reported injection site reactions (42 patients vs two patients), fever (ten vs none), and fatigue (26 vs two). There were no differences in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 and British Isles Lupus Assessment Group-flare rates between the groups. There were no treatment-related deaths. INTERPRETATION: The herpes zoster subunit vaccine induces humoral and cellular immunity against herpes zoster with a good safety profile in patients with SLE. A larger study is warranted to assess the efficacy of vaccines to prevent herpes zoster in patients with SLE. FUNDING: Ministry of Science and ICT, The Government of the Republic of Korea.

Dose escalation study of a personalized peptide-based neoantigen vaccine (EVX-01) in patients with metastatic melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Neoantigens can serve as targets for T cell-mediated antitumor immunity via personalized neopeptide vaccines. Interim data from our clinical study NCT03715985 showed that the personalized peptide-based neoantigen vaccine EVX-01, formulated in the liposomal adjuvant, CAF09b, was safe and able to elicit EVX-01-specific T cell responses in patients with metastatic melanoma. Here, we present results from the dose-escalation part of the study, evaluating the feasibility, safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity of EVX-01 in addition to anti-PD-1 therapy. METHODS: Patients with metastatic melanoma on anti-PD-1 therapy were treated in three cohorts with increasing vaccine dosages (twofold and fourfold). Tumor-derived neoantigens were selected by the AI platform PIONEER and used in personalized therapeutic cancer peptide vaccines EVX-01. Vaccines were administered at 2-week intervals for a total of three intraperitoneal and three intramuscular injections. The study's primary endpoint was safety and tolerability. Additional endpoints were immunological responses, survival, and objective response rates. RESULTS: Compared with the base dose level previously reported, no new vaccine-related serious adverse events were observed during dose escalation of EVX-01 in combination with an anti-PD-1 agent given according to local guidelines. Two patients at the third dose level (fourfold dose) developed grade 3 toxicity, most likely related to pembrolizumab. Overall, 8 out of the 12 patients had objective clinical responses (6 partial response (PR) and 2 CR), with all 4 patients at the highest dose level having a CR (1 CR, 3 PR). EVX-01 induced peptide-specific CD4+ and/or CD8+T cell responses in all treated patients, with CD4+T cells as the dominating responses. The magnitude of immune responses measured by IFN-γ ELISpot assay correlated with individual peptide doses. A significant correlation between the PIONEER quality score and induced T cell immunogenicity was detected, while better CRs correlated with both the number of immunogenic EVX-01 peptides and the PIONEER quality score. CONCLUSION: Immunization with EVX-01-CAF09b in addition to anti-PD-1 therapy was shown to be safe and well tolerated and elicit vaccine neoantigen-specific CD4+and CD8+ T cell responses at all dose levels. In addition, objective tumor responses were observed in 67% of patients. The results encourage further assessment of the antitumor efficacy of EVX-01 in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy.

[Immunotherapy against gliomas]. / Immuntherapie gegen Gliome.

BACKGROUND: Gliomas represent the most frequent malignant primary brain tumors in adults. Despite multimodal treatment concepts involving surgery, irradiation and chemotherapy, the prognosis remains poor and they are incurable. Recent insights into the interactions between the immune system and the central nervous system as well as breakthroughs in the results of other cancer types have led to the fact that various immunotherapeutic approaches against gliomas have also been investigated and in some cases specifically developed. OBJECTIVE: This article provides an overview of the current status of different immunotherapeutic concepts against gliomas, highlighting the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges. Additionally, it provides an overview of currently ongoing immunotherapeutic clinical trials in Germany and neighboring countries. RESULTS: Previous randomized studies on antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD1) immune checkpoint inhibition, viral treatment and peptide vaccination targeting the variant III of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRvIII) in glioblastomas were negative with respect to survival benefits. Conversely, other immunotherapeutic approaches, such as multivalent or driver mutation-based vaccinations, cytokine-based therapy and cell therapy, demonstrated a robust scientific foundation, with at least early studies showing promising safety and pharmacodynamic effects on the tumors. DISCUSSION: Currently, immunotherapies against gliomas should only be applied within the framework of well-designed clinical studies. There are still many knowledge gaps regarding the mechanisms of action and resistance of various immunotherapies. Accompanying translational research is essential to address these gaps and develop more effective therapies.

Improving the efficacy of peptide vaccines in cancer immunotherapy.

Peptide vaccines have shown great potential in cancer immunotherapy by targeting tumor antigens and activating the patient's immune system to mount a specific response against cancer cells. However, the efficacy of peptide vaccines in inducing a sustained immune response and achieving clinical benefit remains a major challenge. In this review, we discuss the current status of peptide vaccines in cancer immunotherapy and strategies to improve their efficacy. We summarize the recent advancements in the development of peptide vaccines in pre-clinical and clinical settings, including the use of novel adjuvants, neoantigens, nano-delivery systems, and combination therapies. We also highlight the importance of personalized cancer vaccines, which consider the unique genetic and immunological profiles of individual patients. We also discuss the strategies to enhance the immunogenicity of peptide vaccines such as multivalent peptides, conjugated peptides, fusion proteins, and self-assembled peptides. Although, peptide vaccines alone are weak immunogens, combining peptide vaccines with other immunotherapeutic approaches and developing novel approaches such as personalized vaccines can be promising methods to significantly enhance their efficacy and improve the clinical outcomes for cancer patients.

Recent advances and applications of peptide-agent conjugates for targeting tumor cells.

BACKGROUND: Cancer, being a complex disease, presents a major challenge for the scientific and medical communities. Peptide therapeutics have played a significant role in different medical practices, including cancer treatment. METHOD: This review provides an overview of the current situation and potential development prospects of anticancer peptides (ACPs), with a particular focus on peptide vaccines and peptide-drug conjugates for cancer treatment. RESULTS: ACPs can be used directly as cytotoxic agents (molecularly targeted peptides) or can act as carriers (guiding missile) of chemotherapeutic agents and radionuclides by specifically targeting cancer cells. More than 60 natural and synthetic cationic peptides are approved in the USA and other major markets for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Compared to traditional cancer treatments, peptides exhibit anticancer activity with high specificity and the ability to rapidly kill target cancer cells. ACP's target and kill cancer cells via different mechanisms, including membrane disruption, pore formation, induction of apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, and regulation of the immune system. Modified peptides have been developed as carriers for drugs, vaccines, and peptide-drug conjugates, which have been evaluated in various phases of clinical trials for the treatment of different types of solid and leukemia cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the potential of ACPs as a promising therapeutic option for cancer treatment, particularly through the use of peptide vaccines and peptide-drug conjugates. Despite the limitations of peptides, such as poor metabolic stability and low bioavailability, modified peptides show promise in addressing these challenges. Various mechanism of action of anticancer peptides. Modes of action against cancer cells including: inducing apoptosis by cytochrome c release, direct cell membrane lysis (necrosis), inhibiting angiogenesis, inducing autophagy-mediated cell death and immune cell regulation.

Magnetic Fluorescent Bead-Based Dual-Reporter Flow Analysis of PDL1-Vaxx Peptide Vaccine-Induced Antibody Blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 Interaction.

The inhibition of checkpoint receptors (PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4) with monoclonal antibodies has shown great benefit in clinical trials for treating cancer patients and has become a mainstay approach in modern cancer immunotherapy. However, only a subset of patients respond to checkpoint monoclonal antibody immunotherapy. Therefore, it is urgent to develop new therapeutic strategies against cancer. A novel B-cell peptide epitope PDL1 (programmed death ligand 1) cancer vaccine has been developed, with amino acids 130-147 linked to the MVF peptide ("promiscuous" T-cell measles virus fusion protein) via a GPSL linker. Preclinical testing has indicated that this PDL1 vaccine (PDL1-Vaxx) effectively stimulates highly immunogenic antibodies in animals. Animals immunized with PDL1-Vaxx show reduced tumor burden and extended survival rates in various animal cancer models. The mechanisms of action indicate that vaccine-elicited antibodies inhibit tumor cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and block the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. This manuscript introduces a magnetic bead-based assay that uses a dual-reporter flow analysis system to evaluate the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction and its blockade by the anti-PDL1 antibodies raised against the PDL1-Vaxx.

ALK peptide vaccination restores the immunogenicity of ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is treated with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but the lack of activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is poorly understood. Here, we identified immunogenic ALK peptides to show that ICIs induced rejection of ALK+ tumors in the flank but not in the lung. A single-peptide vaccination restored priming of ALK-specific CD8+ T cells, eradicated lung tumors in combination with ALK TKIs and prevented metastatic dissemination of tumors to the brain. The poor response of ALK+ NSCLC to ICIs was due to ineffective CD8+ T cell priming against ALK antigens and is circumvented through specific vaccination. Finally, we identified human ALK peptides displayed by HLA-A*02:01 and HLA-B*07:02 molecules. These peptides were immunogenic in HLA-transgenic mice and were recognized by CD8+ T cells from individuals with NSCLC, paving the way for the development of a clinical vaccine to treat ALK+ NSCLC.

Application of VEGF/VEGFR peptide vaccines in cancer: A systematic review of clinical trials.

Peptide vaccines that target vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway have shown promising results in inducing strong anti-tumor immune responses with minimal toxicity in various clinical studies. This systematic review was conducted to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy, immune response, survival rate, and side effects of VEGF/VEGF receptor-based peptide vaccines. VEGF/VEGFR2 peptide vaccines were found to be safe and effective in inducing anti-tumor immune responses, while induced moderate clinical benefit. In this regard, further clinical trials are necessary to fully evaluate their clinical effects and the exact correlation between induction of immune response and clinical outcomes.

Long-term follow-up of anti-PD-1 naïve patients with metastatic melanoma treated with IDO/PD-L1 targeting peptide vaccine and nivolumab.

BACKGROUND: We have previously published initial efficacy of the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO)/anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) vaccine in combination with nivolumab in 30 anti-PD-1 therapy naïve patients with metastatic melanoma (cohort A). We now report long-term follow-up of patients in cohort A. Further, we report results from cohort B, where the peptide vaccine was added to anti-PD-1 therapy for patients with progressive disease during anti-PD-1 treatment. METHODS: All patients were treated with a therapeutic peptide vaccine in Montanide targeting IDO and PD-L1 combined with nivolumab (NCT03047928). A long-term follow-up of safety, response rates, and survival rates were performed in cohort A including patient subgroup analyses. Safety and clinical responses were analyzed for cohort B. RESULTS: Cohort A: At data cut-off, January 5, 2023, the overall response rate (ORR) was 80%, and 50% of the 30 patients obtained a complete response (CR). The median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 25.5 months (95% CI 8.8 to 39), and median overall survival (mOS) was not reached (NR) (95% CI 36.4 to NR). The minimum follow-up time was 29.8 months, and the median follow-up was 45.3 months (IQR 34.8-59.2). A subgroup evaluation further revealed that cohort A patients with unfavorable baseline characteristics, including either PD-L1 negative tumors (n=13), elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (n=11), or M1c (n=17) obtained both favorable response rates and durable responses. The ORR was 61.5%, 79%, and 88% for patients with PD-L1- tumors, elevated LDH, and M1c, respectively. The mPFS was 7.1 months for patients with PD-L1- tumors, 30.9 months for patients with elevated LDH, and 27.9 months for M1c patients. Cohort B: At data cut-off, the best overall response was stable disease for 2 of the 10 evaluable patients. The mPFS was 2.4 months (95% CI 1.38 to 2.52), and the mOS was 16.7 months (95% CI 4.13 to NR). CONCLUSION: This long-term follow-up confirms the promising and durable responses in cohort A. Subgroup analyses of patients with unfavorable baseline characteristics revealed that high response rates and survival rates were also found in patients with either PD-L1 negative tumors, elevated LDH levels, or M1c. No meaningful clinical effect was demonstrated in cohort B patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03047928.

Immunoreactivity to WT1 peptide vaccine is associated with prognosis in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: follow-up study of randomized phase II trial of OCV-501, an HLA class II-binding WT1 polypeptide.

We previously conducted a randomized phase II trial of OCV-501, a WT1 peptide presented by helper T cells, in elderly AML (acute myeloid leukemia) patients in first remission, indicating no difference in 2-year disease-free survival (DSF) between the OCV-501 and placebo groups. Here, we analyzed 5-year outcome and biomarkers. Five-year DFS was 36.0% in the OCV-501 group (N = 52) and 33.7% in the placebo group (N = 53), with no significant difference (p = 0.74). The peripheral WT1 mRNA levels were marginally suppressed in the OCV-501 group compared with the placebo group. Enhanced anti-OCV-501 IgG response by the 25th week was an independent favorable prognostic factor. Anti-OCV-501 IFNγ responses were less frequent than the IgG reactions. These findings suggest that host immunoreactivity has a significant impact on the prognosis of AML and that further improvement of the WT1 peptide vaccine is needed.

Safety and immunogenicity of a thermostable ID93 + GLA-SE tuberculosis vaccine candidate in healthy adults.

Adjuvant-containing subunit vaccines represent a promising approach for protection against tuberculosis (TB), but current candidates require refrigerated storage. Here we present results from a randomized, double-blinded Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT03722472) evaluating the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a thermostable lyophilized single-vial presentation of the ID93 + GLA-SE vaccine candidate compared to the non-thermostable two-vial vaccine presentation in healthy adults. Participants were monitored for primary, secondary, and exploratory endpoints following intramuscular administration of two vaccine doses 56 days apart. Primary endpoints included local and systemic reactogenicity and adverse events. Secondary endpoints included antigen-specific antibody (IgG) and cellular immune responses (cytokine-producing peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T cells). Both vaccine presentations are safe and well tolerated and elicit robust antigen-specific serum antibody and Th1-type cellular immune responses. Compared to the non-thermostable presentation, the thermostable vaccine formulation generates greater serum antibody responses (p < 0.05) and more antibody-secreting cells (p < 0.05). In this work, we show the thermostable ID93 + GLA-SE vaccine candidate is safe and immunogenic in healthy adults.

Supramolecular assembly of a trivalent peptide hydrogel vaccine for cancer immunotherapy.

Vaccination shows great promise in cancer immunotherapy. However, the induction of robust and broad therapeutic CD8 T cell immunity against tumors is challenging due to the essential heterogenicity of tumor antigen expression. Recently, bioinspired materials have reshaped the field of cancer nanomedicine. Herein, a bioinspired nanofibrous trivalent peptide hydrogel vaccine was constructed using the spontaneous supramolecular co-assembly of three antigenic epitope-conjugated peptides, which could mimic the fibrillar structure and biological function of the extracellular matrix and naturally occurring protein assembly. The hydrogel vaccine could be accurately and flexibly adjusted to load each antigenic peptide at a defined ratio, which facilitated the antigen presentation of dendritic cells and significantly improved the initiation of CD8 T cell response and the secretion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ). C57BL/6 mice were immunized with the trivalent peptide hydrogel vaccine, where it elicited a high broad-spectrum antitumor CD8 T cell response that significantly inhibited the growth of B16 tumors in the absence of additional immunoadjuvants or delivery systems. In summary, the supramolecular assembly of triple antigenic epitope-conjugated peptides offers a simple, customizable, and versatile approach for the development of cancer vaccines with remarkable therapeutic efficacy, thereby providing a highly versatile platform for the application of personalized multivalent tumor vaccines. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: (1) We report a feasible, versatile and bioinspired approach to manufacture a multivalent peptide-based hydrogel cancer vaccine in the absence of additional adjuvants, which closely mimics immune niches, co-delivers antigen epitopes, greatly promotes antigen presentation to DCs and their subsequent homing to dLNs and elicits a broad-spectrum antitumor CD8 T cell response, resulting in significant inhibition of B16 tumor growth. (2) This feasible and efficient co-assembly strategy provides an attractive platform for engineering a range of multivalent vaccines at defined ratios to further enhance antigen-specific T cell responses. This approach may also be used for personalized immunotherapy with neo-epitopes.

Therapeutic potential of tolerance-based peptide vaccines in autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases are caused by the dysfunction of the body's immune regulatory system, which leads to the recognition of self-antigens and the destruction of self-tissues and is mediated by immune cells such as T and B cells, and affects 5-10% of the population worldwide. Current treatments such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids can only relieve symptoms of the disease and are accompanied by serious side effects that affect patient quality of life. The recent rise in antigen-specific therapies, especially vaccines carrying autoantigenic peptides, promises to change this disadvantage, where research has increased dramatically in the last decade. This therapy established specific immune tolerance by delivering peptide fragments containing disease-specific self-antigen epitopes to suppress excessive immune responses, thereby exerting a therapeutic effect, with high safety and specificity. This article presents the latest progress on the treatment of autoimmune diseases with autoantigen peptide vaccines. It includes the construction of peptide vaccine delivery system, the mechanism of inducing immune tolerance and its application.

Safety, Immunogenicity, and 1-Year Efficacy of Universal Cancer Peptide-Based Vaccine in Patients With Refractory Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase Ib/Phase IIa De-Escalation Study.

PURPOSE: Universal cancer peptide-based vaccine (UCPVax) is a therapeutic vaccine composed of two highly selected helper peptides to induce CD4+ T helper-1 response directed against telomerase. This phase Ib/IIa trial was designed to test the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of a three-dose schedule in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with refractory NSCLC were assigned to receive three vaccination doses of UCPVax (0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1 mg) using a Bayesian-based phase Ib followed by phase IIa de-escalating design. The primary end points were dose-limiting toxicity and immune response after three first doses of vaccine. Secondary end points were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival at 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 59 patients received UCPVax; 95% had three prior lines of systemic therapy. No dose-limiting toxicity was observed in 15 patients treated in phase Ib. The maximum tolerated dose was 1 mg. Fifty-one patients were eligible for phase IIa. The third and sixth dose of UCPVax induced specific CD4+ T helper 1 response in 56% and 87.2% of patients, respectively, with no difference between three dose levels. Twenty-one (39%) patients achieved disease control (stable disease, n = 20; complete response, n = 1). The 1-year OS was 34.1% (95% CI, 23.1 to 50.4), and the median OS was 9.7 months, with no significant difference between dose levels. The 1-year progression-free survival and the median OS were 17.2% (95% CI, 7.8 to 38.3) and 11.6 months (95% CI, 9.7 to 16.7) in immune responders (P = .015) and 4.5% (95% CI, 0.7 to 30.8) and 5.6 months (95% CI, 2.5 to 10) in nonresponders (P = .005), respectively. CONCLUSION: UCPVax was highly immunogenic and safe and provide interesting 1-year OS rate in heavily pretreated advanced NSCLC.

Phase IIa Study of SurVaxM Plus Adjuvant Temozolomide for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma.

PURPOSE: Despite intensive treatment with surgery, radiation therapy, temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy, and tumor-treating fields, mortality of newly diagnosed glioblastoma (nGBM) remains very high. SurVaxM is a peptide vaccine conjugate that has been shown to activate the immune system against its target molecule survivin, which is highly expressed by glioblastoma cells. We conducted a phase IIa, open-label, multicenter trial evaluating the safety, immunologic effects, and survival of patients with nGBM receiving SurVaxM plus adjuvant TMZ following surgery and chemoradiation (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02455557). METHODS: Sixty-four patients with resected nGBM were enrolled including 38 men and 26 women, in the age range of 20-82 years. Following craniotomy and fractionated radiation therapy with concurrent TMZ, patients received four doses of SurVaxM (500 µg once every 2 weeks) in Montanide ISA-51 plus sargramostim (granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor) subcutaneously. Patients subsequently received adjuvant TMZ and maintenance SurVaxM concurrently until progression. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were reported. Immunologic responses to SurVaxM were assessed. RESULTS: SurVaxM plus TMZ was well tolerated with no serious adverse events attributable to SurVaxM. Of the 63 patients who were evaluable for outcome, 60 (95.2%) remained progression-free 6 months after diagnosis (prespecified primary end point). Median PFS was 11.4 months and median OS was 25.9 months measured from first dose of SurVaxM. SurVaxM produced survivin-specific CD8+ T cells and antibody/immunoglobulin G titers. Apparent clinical benefit of SurVaxM was observed in both methylated and unmethylated patients. CONCLUSION: SurVaxM appeared to be safe and well tolerated. The combination represents a promising therapy for nGBM. For patients with nGBM treated in this manner, PFS may be an acceptable surrogate for OS. A large randomized clinical trial of SurVaxM for nGBM is in progress.

Immunoinformatic-guided designing of multi-epitope vaccine construct against Brucella Suis 1300.

Brucella suis mediates the transmission of brucellosis in humans and animals and a significant facultative zoonotic pathogen found in livestock. It has the capacity to survive and multiply in a phagocytic environment and to acquire resistance under hostile conditions thus becoming a threat globally. Antibiotic resistance is posing a substantial public health threat, hence there is an unmet and urgent clinical need for immune-based non-antibiotic methods to treat brucellosis. Hence, we aimed to explore the whole proteome of Brucella suis to predict antigenic proteins as a vaccine target and designed a novel chimeric vaccine (multi-epitope vaccine) through subtractive genomics-based reverse vaccinology approaches. The applied subsequent hierarchical shortlisting resulted in the identification of Multidrug efflux Resistance-nodulation-division (RND) transporter outer membrane subunit (gene BepC) that may act as a potential vaccine target. T-cell and B-cell epitopes have been predicted from target proteins using a number of immunoinformatic methods. Six MHC I, ten MHC II, and four B-cell epitopes were used to create a 324-amino-acid MEV construct, which was coupled with appropriate linkers and adjuvant. To boost the immunological response to the vaccine, the vaccine was combined with the TLR4 agonist HBHA protein. The MEV structure predicted was found to be highly antigenic, non-toxic, non-allergenic, flexible, stable, and soluble. To confirm the interactions with the receptors, a molecular docking simulation of the MEV was done using the human TLR4 (toll-like receptor 4) and HLAs. The stability and binding of the MEV-docked complexes with TLR4 were assessed using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Finally, MEV was reverse translated, its cDNA structure was evaluated, and then, in silico cloning into an E. coli expression host was conducted to promote maximum vaccine protein production with appropriate post-translational modifications. These comprehensive computer calculations backed up the efficacy of the suggested MEV in protecting against B. suis infections. However, more experimental validations are needed to adequately assess the vaccine candidate's potential. HIGHLIGHTS: • Subtractive genomic analysis and reverse vaccinology for the prioritization of novel vaccine target • Examination of chimeric vaccine in terms of allergenicity, antigenicity, MHC I, II binding efficacy, and structural-based studies • Molecular docking simulation method to rank based vaccine candidate and understand their binding modes.

Characteristics of clinical trials for non-small cell lung cancer therapeutic vaccines registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Background: Even after complete surgical treatment or chemotherapy, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients are also at substantial risk for recurrence and spread trend. Therapeutic cancer vaccination could increase the anti-tumor immune response and prevent tumor relapse. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of NSCLC therapeutic vaccines registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study of clinical trials for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapeutic Vaccines Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/) through March 17, 2022. Results: This study encompassed 117 registered trials included for data analysis. The number of trials was significantly correlated with a beginning year (r = 0.504, P < 0.010). Of these trials, 45.30% were completed, 12.82% were terminated, and 8.55% were withdrawn. More than half of trials (52.99%) were funded by industry, and more than half of trials (52.14%) were located in economically developed North America. Regarding study designs of these trials, 27.35% were randomized, 52.14% were single group assignment, 83.76% were without masking, 35.90% were phase 1, and more than half of the trials (56.41%) recruited less than 50 participants. The highest proportion of vaccine types was protein/peptide vaccines (41.88%). Regarding TNM staging, the highest proportion of the trials is stage III-IV (26.50%). Conclusion: The number of clinical trials about the cancer therapeutic vaccines was sustained an increase in recent years. The main characteristic of clinical trials for NSCLC therapeutic vaccines is lack of randomized control, lack of mask, and recruiting less than 50 participants. In recent years, the protein/peptide vaccines for NSCLC active immunotherapy have been well studied.

Phase I/II clinical trial of a helper peptide vaccine plus PD-1 blockade in PD-1 antibody-naïve and PD-1 antibody-experienced patients with melanoma (MEL64).

BACKGROUND: A vaccine containing 6 melanoma-associated peptides to stimulate helper T cells (6MHP) is safe, immunogenic, and clinically active. A phase I/II trial was designed to evaluate safety and immunogenicity of 6MHP vaccines plus programmed death 1 (PD-1) blockade. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Participants with advanced melanoma received 6MHP vaccines in an incomplete Freund's adjuvant (6 vaccines over 12 weeks). Pembrolizumab was administered intravenously every 3 weeks. Tumor biopsies at baseline and day 22 were analyzed by multiplex immunohistochemistry. Primary end points were safety (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events V.4.03) and immunogenicity (ex vivo interferon-γ ELISpot assay). Additional end points included changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-two eligible participants were treated: 6 naïve to PD-1 antibody (Ab) and 16 PD-1 Ab-experienced. Median follow-up was 24.4 months. Most common treatment-related adverse events (any grade) included injection site reactions, fatigue, anemia, lymphopenia, fever, elevated aspartate aminotransferase, pruritus, and rash. Treatment-related dose-limiting toxicities were observed in 3 (14%) participants, which did not cross the study safety bound. A high durable T cell response (Rsp) to 6MHP was detected in only one participant, but twofold T cell Rsps to 6MHP were detected in 7/22 (32%; 90% CI (16% to 52%)) by week 13. Objective clinical responses were observed in 23% (1 complete response, 4 partial responses), including 4/6 PD-1 Ab-naïve (67%) and 1/16 PD-1 Ab-experienced (6%). Overall survival (OS) was longer for PD-1 Ab-naïve than Ab-experienced participants (HR 6.3 (90% CI (2.1 to 28.7)). In landmark analyses at 13 weeks, OS was also longer for those with T cell Rsps (HR 6.5 (90% CI (2.1 to 29.2)) and for those with objective clinical responses. TME evaluation revealed increased densities of CD8+ T cells, CD20+ B cells, and Tbet+ cells by day 22. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with the 6MHP vaccine plus pembrolizumab was safe, increased intratumoral lymphocytes, and induced T cell Rsps associated with prolonged OS. The low T cell Rsp rate in PD-1 Ab-experienced participants corroborates prior murine studies that caution against delaying cancer vaccines until after PD-1 blockade. The promising objective response rate and OS in PD-1 Ab-naïve participants support consideration of a larger study in that setting.

Personalized neoantigen vaccine combined with PD-1 blockade increases CD8+ tissue-resident memory T-cell infiltration in preclinical hepatocellular carcinoma models.

BACKGROUND: Personalized neoantigen vaccine could induce a robust antitumor immune response in multiple cancers, whose efficacy could be further enhanced by combining with programmed cell death 1 blockade (α-PD-1). However, the corresponding immune response and synergistic mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here, we aimed to develop clinically available combinational therapeutic strategy and further explore its potential antitumor mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Neoantigen peptide vaccine (NeoVAC) for murine HCC cell line Hepa1-6 was developed and optimized by neoantigen screening and adjuvant optimization. Then the synergistic efficacy and related molecular mechanisms of NeoVAC combined with α-PD-1 in HCC were evaluated by orthotopic HCC mouse model, single-cell RNA sequencing, tetramer flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, etc. The tumor-killing capacity of CD8+ tissue-resident memory T cells (CD8+ TRMs) was assessed by orthotopic HCC mouse model, and autologous patient-derived cells. RESULTS: NeoVAC, which consisted of seven high immunogenic neoantigen peptides and clinical-grade Poly(I:C), could generate a strong antitumor immune response in HCC mouse models. Significantly, its efficacy could be further improved by combining with α-PD-1, with 80% of durable tumor regression and long-term immune memory in orthotopic HCC models. Moreover, in-depth analysis of the tumor immune microenvironment showed that the percentage of CD8+ TRMs was remarkedly increased in NeoVAC plus α-PD-1 treatment group, and positively associated with the antitumor efficacy. In vitro and in vivo T-cell cytotoxicity assay further confirmed the strong tumor-killing capacity of CD8+ TRMs sorting from orthotopic mouse HCC or patient's HCC tissue. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that NeoVAC plus α-PD-1 could induce a strong antitumor response and long-term tumor-specific immune memory in HCC by increasing CD8+ TRMs infiltration, which might serve as a potential immune-therapeutic target for HCC.