Development of a mucosal long peptide cancer vaccine using a membrane transport polymer as a carrier.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07773
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 50020:Tumor diagnostics and therapeutics-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: SHIRAKAWA TOSHIRO 神戸大学, 科学技術イノベーション研究科, 教授 (70335446)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 佐久間 信至 摂南大学, 薬学部, 教授 (80388644)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ワクチン / 腫瘍免疫 / 高分子ポリマー / 膜輸送性タンパク / ロングペプチド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since the commercialization of immune checkpoint inhibitors, the development of cancer immunotherapeutic agents including cancer vaccines has progressed. Until now, short peptides have been the mainstream of cancer vaccines, but the clinical outcomes of those were not satisfactory, and the development of long peptide vaccines containing multiple CTL epitopes is in progress. Long peptides consist of more than 30 amino acids, and the obstacle to success is how to deliver them into dendritic cells. In the present study, we synthesize a membrane-transporting polymer bound with membrane-permeable oligoarginine and conjugate it with a long peptide and administer them to the biological mucosa, and the long peptide can be efficiently delivered into the DCs. We developed an efficient long peptide cancer vaccine. Using this system, WT1 long peptides were administered to the nasal mucosa, and their anti-tumor efficacy was confirmed in animal experimental models.

Free Research Field

がん免疫療法学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

免疫チェックポイント阻害剤の実用化以降、癌ワクチンを含む癌免疫療法剤の開発競争が激化している。特に現在、実臨床での奏効率が２～３割に留まる免疫チェックポイント阻害剤の奏効率を向上できる併用剤の開発が強く望まれている。本研究で開発した高分子ポリマーを用いた新規がんワクチンはそれらのニーズを満たす大きな可能性を有しており、今後、臨床開発を進めていく意義は大きい。