Tumor-Associated Antigen Identification via Early-Stage Immune Profiling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for identifying tumor-associated antigens are limited by the use of immunoeffectors from patients with advanced cancer, leading to potential targeting of wrong antigens and loss of effective immune recognition specificity during disease progression.

Innovation Solution

A strategy combining data mining with laboratory experiments to identify tissue-specific genes aberrantly activated in tumors, using bioinformatic scripts to identify new tumor genes and nucleic acids encoding tumor-associated antigens, which can be used for diagnosis and therapy independently of immunogenic action.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If immunoeffectors from patients with advanced cancer are used to identify tumor-associated antigens, then antigen identification can be performed using available patient samples, but the immune recognition specificity is lost due to tolerization and anergization of T cells during disease progression

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability of patient samplesVSAvoidimmune recognition specificity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by identifying tumor-associated antigens in early-stage cancer patients before tolerization and anergization occur. By performing antigen identification at an early stage when the immune system is still functional, the method captures reliable immune recognition specificities that can be used for therapeutic vaccine development throughout disease progression

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by not using immunoeffectors from advanced cancer patients, but rather using immunoeffectors from early-stage patients or healthy individuals with familial cancer predisposition. This inversion allows identification of antigens that maintain immune recognition capability, turning the limitation of early-stage sample availability into an advantage for identifying immunogenic antigens

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Adaptability or versatility

If classical therapeutic procedures are used extensively, then comprehensive treatment coverage is achieved, but cancer remains among the leading causes of death due to treatment resistance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment coverageVSAvoidtreatment effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces tumor-associated antigens as intermediaries that bridge classical therapy and immune system activation. By identifying and utilizing specific antigens expressed by tumor cells, the method enables the development of therapeutic vaccines that activate the patient's own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of conventional treatments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by shifting from non-specific classical therapeutic approaches to specific antigen-targeted immunotherapy. By changing the parameter of treatment specificity through antigen identification, the method enables precise targeting of tumor cells while preserving healthy cells, thereby overcoming treatment resistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If cDNA expression libraries are screened systematically using CTL clones or autoantibodies, then tumor-associated antigens can be molecularly defined, but the process requires extensive laboratory resources and time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantigen molecular definitionVSAvoidlaboratory resource requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing antigen identification in early-stage cancer patients before the immune system undergoes tolerization. This timing strategy enables the capture of reliable immune recognition specificities without requiring extensive screening of advanced cancer patient samples, thereby reducing laboratory resource requirements while maintaining measurement precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by utilizing immunoeffectors from early-stage patients or healthy individuals with familial cancer predisposition as proxies for identifying antigens that will be relevant throughout disease progression. This copying approach allows the identification results from early-stage samples to be applied to therapeutic vaccine development for advanced cancer patients, reducing the need for extensive laboratory screening

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS20210145700A1Genetic products differentially expressed in tumors and the use thereof

Publication Date: 2021.05.20 ASTELLAS PHARMA INC

AI summary

According to the invention, gene products expressed in a tumor-associated manner and the nucleic acids coding therefor were identified. The invention relates to the therapy and diagnosis of diseases wherein said gene products expressed in a tumor-associated manner are aberrantly expressed. The invention also relates to proteins, polypeptides and peptides which are expressed in a tumor associated manner and to nucleic acids coding therefor.