Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination

Specific active immunotherapy with a VEGF targeted vaccine for cancer: From bench to bedside

10^th Euro Global Summit and Expo on Vaccines & Vaccination

June 16-18, 2016 Rome, Italy

Yanelys Morera Diaz

Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Cuba

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Vaccines Vaccin

Abstract:

Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in several pathological conditions, such as tumor. Extensive experimental and clinical data have converted inhibition of neoangiogenesis and in particular the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), into an attractive cancer drug development platform. Herein we present a summary of the results of preclinical and Phase-I clinical studies of a new active anti-cancer immunotherapy strategy based on the targeting of autologous VEGF. CIGB-247 is a therapeutic vaccine candidate that uses a human VEGF variant molecule as antigen, in combination with VSSP. Vaccination with CIGB-247 produces anti-tumor effects in different mouse strains injected with B16F10, CT26 and F3II tumor cells. CIGB-247 vaccination also significantly reduced the number and size of experimental and/or spontaneous metastatic tumor foci in lungs for the CT26, 3LL-D122 and F3II tumor models. The vaccine induces anti-VEGF blocking antibodies and a cellular response targeting tumor cells that secrete VEGF and proved to be safe in mice, rats, rabbits and non-human primates. A Phase-I clinical trial (code name CENTAURO) with 30 patients with advanced solid tumors, at three antigen dose levels was done to determine safety, tolerance and immunogenicity of CIGB-247. Vaccination showed to be safe at the three dose levels with only grade 1-2 adverse events. Immunization of patient with CIGB-247, led to humoral and cellular anti-VEGF specific immune responses. After two years of vaccination with no additional onco-specific treatment, one third of the patients are alive. Altogether, these results support the further clinical development of the CIGB-247 therapeutic cancer vaccine.

Biography :

Email: yanelys.morera@cigb.edu.cu