Adenovirus vaccine targeting kinases induces potent antitumor immunity in solid tumors

Targeting kinases presents a potential strategy for treating solid tumors; however, the therapeutic potential of vaccines targeting kinases remains uncertain.

Adenovirus (Ad) vaccines encoding Aurora kinase A (AURKA) or cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) were developed, and their therapeutic potentials were investigated by various methods including western blot, flow cytometry, cytotoxic T lymphocyte assay, and enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot), in mouse and humanized solid tumor models.

Co-immunization with Ad-AURKA/CDK7 effectively prevented subcutaneous tumor growth in the Renca, RM-1, MC38, and Hepa1-6 tumor models. In therapeutic tumor models, Ad-AURKA/CDK7 treatment impeded tumor growth and increased immune cell infiltration. Administration of Ad-AURKA/CDK7 promoted the induction and maturation of dendritic cell subsets and augmented multifunctional CD8⁺ T-cell antitumor immunity. Furthermore, the vaccine induced a long-lasting antitumor effect by promoting the generation of memory CD8⁺ T cells. Tumor recovery on CD8⁺ T-cell depletion underscored the indispensable role of these cells in the observed therapeutic effects. The potent efficacy of the Ad-AURKA/CDK7 vaccine was consistently demonstrated in lung metastasis, orthotopic, and humanized tumor models by inducing multifunctional CD8⁺ T-cell antitumor immune responses.

Our findings illustrate that the Ad-AURKA/CDK7 vaccine targeting dual kinases AURKA and CDK7 emerges as a promising and effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of solid tumors.