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Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo
12:42

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo

Published on: January 7, 2019

Yeasts encoding tumour antigens in cancer immunotherapy

Alex Franzusoff1, Richard C Duke, Thomas H King

  • 1GlobeImmune, Inc., 12635 E. Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO 80010, USA.

Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy
|June 7, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Yeast-based immunotherapeutics, called Tarmogens, show promise for cancer treatment by stimulating potent immune responses with low toxicity. Early trials are evaluating their effectiveness in patients with colorectal, pancreatic, and lung cancers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Cancer immunotherapy offers targeted treatment with minimal toxicity but faces challenges like neutralization and complex manufacturing.
  • Recombinant yeast cells present a novel platform for developing immunotherapeutics due to their ability to stimulate potent cellular immune responses.
  • Tarmogens, yeast-based immunotherapeutics, have demonstrated efficacy in preclinical models for inducing protective immunity against various tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the safety and potential efficacy of Tarmogens as a novel cancer immunotherapy.
  • To assess the immune response generated by yeast-based immunotherapeutics in a clinical setting.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing recombinant yeast cells engineered to express target antigens for immune stimulation.
  • Conducting a Phase I clinical trial to test Tarmogens in patients with specific cancer types.

Main Results:

  • Animal models indicate Tarmogens can induce protective immunity against tumors.
  • Phase I trial is currently underway to assess safety and efficacy in human patients.

Conclusions:

  • Tarmogens represent a promising, potentially less toxic, and manufacturable approach to cancer immunotherapy.
  • Further clinical investigation is warranted to establish the therapeutic role of Tarmogens in treating colorectal, pancreatic, and non-small cell lung cancers.

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