BAFF Synergies with Anti-PD-1 Therapy to Promote Anti-tumor Immunity

Unmet Need
Immune checkpoint therapy has revolutionized how we think about and treat cancers; however, despite remarkable success, immuno-monotherapy has only provided a robust response in ~20-30% of tumors treated. Researchers are now exploring other treatment paradigms including cell, gene, and vaccine therapies to stimulate patents’ immune systems to combat the tumor beyond what is possible with monotherapy alone.
 
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a protein molecule that synergizes with current therapies and helps stimulate the immune system to fight cancers. This molecule activates the immune system leading to the production of killer T-cells that are capable of destroying tumors. Mice given an anti-cancer vaccine that included this protein as an adjuvant had a tumor burden of less than half that of the group treated with just the vaccine after 22 days in a breast cancer model. These adjuvant treated mice also produced more antibodies against the tumor cells used in the experiment and had a longer life span.
 
Treatment with this protein activates the immune system but it also leads to the over production of PD-L1. Increased expression of PD-L1 is one of the main ways that cancer cells are able to subvert detection by the immune system. Interestingly, this effect might make tumors more susceptible to concomitant immune checkpoint therapies. Mice treated with the experimental protein and anti-PD1 antibody had half the tumor volume of mice treated with only anti-PD1 after 15 days. Use of this protein looks to add value either as a recombinant companion therapy to current immune checkpoint inhibitors or as an adjuvant to cancer vaccines.
 
 
Stage of Development
Animal data available.
 
Publications
Manuscript in preparation.
 

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