Generation of whole tumor cell vaccine for on-demand manipulation of immune responses against cancer under near-infrared laser irradiation

The therapeutic efficacy of whole tumor cell vaccines (TCVs) is modest, which has delayed their translation into personalized immunotherapies in the clinic. Here, we develop a TCV platform based on photothermal nanoparticle-loaded tumor cells, which can be rationally applied to diverse tumor types to achieve on-demand boost of anti-tumor immune responses for inhibiting tumor growth. During the fabrication process, mild photothermal heating by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation induces the nanoparticle-bearing tumor cells to express heat shock proteins as endogenous adjuvants. After a single vaccination at the back of tumor-bearing mice, non-invasive NIR laser irradiation further induces mild hyperthermia at vaccination site, which promotes the recruitment, activation, and antigen presentation by dendritic cells. Using an indicator we term fluctuation of tumor growth rate, we determine appropriate irradiation regimens (including optimized irradiation intervals and times). This TCV platform enables on-demand NIR manipulation of immune responses, and we demonstrate potent therapeutic efficacy against six murine models that mimick a range of clinical scenarios, including a model based on humanized mice and patient-derived tumor xenografts.

Evaluation of an autologous cancer vaccine for the treatment of metastatic canine hemangiosarcoma: a preliminary study

Background

Canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an aggressive cancer arising from multipotential bone marrow-derived stem cells. Anthracycline chemotherapy drugs have been the mainstay adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery with only modest improvement in survival and an attendant risk for adverse events. Immunotherapy, using a whole cell autologous cancer vaccine adjuvanted with MIM-SIS, may improve outcomes for dogs with HSA with a lower risk for adverse events compared with chemotherapy.

Results

In cultured DH82 canine monocyte-like cells, autologous cancer vaccines prepared from 13 dogs with HSA increased MHC-II surface expression ranging from 20.0-60.4% on single-stained cells, CD80 surface expression ranging from 23.7–45.9% on single-stained cells, and MHC-II/CD80 surface expression ranging from 7.2–20.1% on double-stained cells. Autologous cancer vaccines were able to, on average, stimulate an up-regulation of MHC-II and CD80 by 48-fold as compared to media only (MHC-II + CD80 + cells: 12.19 ± 3.70% vs. 0.25 ± 0.06%; p < 0.001). The overall median survival time for dogs treated with the autologous cancer vaccine was 142 days (range, 61 to 373 days). Dogs treated with the autologous cancer vaccine or maximum tolerated dose (MTD) chemotherapy had significantly (P < 0.001) longer survival than dogs treated with surgery alone. The 1-year survival rate was 12.5% for dogs treated with the autologous cancer vaccine, and 0% for dogs treated with surgery alone or MTD chemotherapy. No adverse events were observed in the dogs treated with the autologous cancer vaccine.

Conclusions

The adjuvanted autologous cancer vaccine is capable of up-regulating MHC-II and CD80 in cultured canine monocyte-derived cells, which are important stimulatory molecules in generating an immune response and improves survival time in dogs with metastatic (stage III) HSA when compared to surgical treatment alone. Autologous cancer vaccine-treated dogs had survival similar to those dogs treated with MTD chemotherapy without any observed adverse events. This autologous cancer vaccine represents an effective form of individualized immunotherapy that is an appealing option for dog owners not wanting to pursue adjuvant chemotherapy for HSA.

Cancer vaccines: harnessing the potential of anti-tumor immunity

Although the presence of cancer suggests failure of the immune system to protect against development of tumors, the possibility that immunity can be redirected and focused to generate an anti-tumor response offers great translational possibility. The key to this is identifying antigens likely to be present in any given tumor and functionally critical to tumor survival and growth. Such tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are varied and optimally should be absent from normal tissue. Of particular interest are TAAs associated with the tumor stroma, as immunity directed against the stroma may restrict the ability of the tumor to grow and metastasize. Important to directing the immune system toward an effect anti-tumor response is the understanding of how TAAs are processed and how the tumor is able to evade immune elimination. The process of immunoediting happens in response to the selective pressure that the immune system places upon tumor cell populations and allows for emergence of tumor cells capable of escaping immune destruction. Efforts to harness the immune system for clinical application has been aided by vaccines based on purified recombinant protein or nucleic acid TAAs. For example, a vaccine for canine melanoma has been developed and approved based on immunization with DNA components of tyrosinase, a glycoprotein essential to melanin synthesis. The performance of cancer vaccines has been aided in some cases when supplemented with immunostimulatory molecules such as interleukin 2 or a novel extracellular matrix vaccine adjuvant. Vaccines with the broadest menu of antigenic targets may be those most likely to succeed against cancer. For this reason, tissue vaccines produced from harvested tumor material may offer significant benefit. With several cancer vaccines on the veterinary and human markets, efforts to understand basic tumor immunology are soon to yield great dividends.