PERSONALIZED PEPTIDE VACCINE

The usage of neoantigen peptides in cancer vaccines is a rapidly growing and highly promising therapeutic field in cancer treatment. This therapy offers the prospect of precisely targeted therapies with greatly reduced risk of side effects and minimal discomfort to the patient.

Synthetically produced tumor-specific antigens, also called neoantigens, open a new route to personalized cancer treatment. Neoantigens are particularly interesting for immune treatment because they are not present in normal tissue. Therefore, neoantigens present a unique and rapidly developing personalized cancer treatment with an important therapeutic potential for patient groups, scientists and industry alike.

Our providers have meticulously controlled processes that produce high-quality peptides, manufactured to conform to regulations and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). They provide a customized synthesis of peptides of up to 20 amino acids long for clinical application, using molecular genetic analysis.

The analysis originates from neoepitope prediction based on the patient’s tumor sequencing data. A tumor sample is obtained by a biopsy. From there, genes and variants expressed in the patient’s tumor sample are selected and further optimized to produce a stable and efficient peptide. The sequences that correspond to peptides that would best bind to different HLA class I and II molecules are prioritized for synthesis.

Short peptides that vary in length from 6 to 15 amino acids are selected to bind to HLA class I molecules present in all nucleated cells, and long peptides of more than 16 amino acids potentially bind to HLA class II molecules, present in antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells, macrophages, and B cells. These APCs, in turn, activate cytotoxic and helper T cells which start the mechanisms for tumor lysis.