Tumor-Associated Peptide Epitopes for Targeted Immunotherapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, often come with severe side effects and high costs, necessitating the development of more targeted and effective therapies, particularly for cancers like glioblastoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer.
Innovation Solution
The development of novel peptide sequences and their variants derived from HLA class I molecules of human tumor cells, which can be used in vaccine compositions to stimulate anti-tumor immune responses or as targets for the development of pharmaceutically/immunologically active compounds and cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemotherapy and radiation are used to treat cancer, then cancer cells can be killed, but severe side effects and high costs occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the cancer treatment approach by identifying and targeting specific peptide epitopes (such as those from MAGE-A1, MAGE-A4, NY-ESO-1, and PRAME proteins) that are uniquely expressed on tumor cells. This allows the immune system to be directed specifically at cancer cells through peptide vaccines or T-cell therapies, rather than affecting all rapidly dividing cells as in conventional chemotherapy and radiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by creating immunotherapeutic interventions that specifically target tumor-expressed antigens. The peptide vaccines and T-cell responses are designed to recognize and attack only cells presenting these specific peptide-MHC complexes, leaving healthy tissues unaffected. This specificity addresses the harmful side effects while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
2Reliability
If conventional cancer treatments are used, then cancer can be treated, but high costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs synthetic peptide vaccines that can be produced relatively inexpensively through chemical synthesis or recombinant expression systems. These peptide-based interventions are more cost-effective than conventional chemotherapy and radiation, particularly when considering the long-term management of chronic conditions like CLL. The peptides themselves are stable, easy to store, and can be administered in standardized formulations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If peptide vaccines are developed to stimulate anti-tumor immune responses, then targeted cancer treatment is achieved, but the complexity of identifying effective peptide sequences increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention identifies peptide epitopes from cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) that are expressed across multiple cancer types including glioblastoma, CLL, AML, NSCLC, and other solid tumors. By targeting universally expressed antigens like MAGE-A1, MAGE-A4, NY-ESO-1, and PRAME, the peptide vaccines can be applied to treat various cancer types with a single platform approach, reducing the complexity of developing cancer-type-specific therapies.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary identification and validation of peptide epitopes from well-characterized cancer-testis antigens before clinical application. The peptide sequences are selected based on their ability to bind to common MHC class I molecules (HLA-A*02:01, HLA-B*07:02, HLA-Cw*04:01) and their demonstrated immunogenicity in preclinical models. This preliminary characterization simplifies the development process for clinical translation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These peptide sequences can elicit strong anti-tumor immune responses by binding to MHC molecules and being recognized by T cells, potentially leading to more effective cancer treatment with reduced side effects.
Implementation Method 1
Peptides bound to molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), or peptides as such, can also be targets of antibodies, soluble T-cell receptors, and other binding molecules
Implementation Method 2
These peptides can be used in vaccine compositions for eliciting anti-tumor immune responses, or as targets for the development of pharmaceutically/immunologically active compounds and cells
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to peptides, proteins, nucleic acids and cells for use in immunotherapeutic methods. In particular, the present invention relates to the immunotherapy of cancer. The present invention furthermore relates to tumor-associated T-cell peptide epitopes, alone or in combination with other tumor-associated peptides that can for example serve as active pharmaceutical ingredients of vaccine compositions that stimulate anti-tumor immune responses, or to stimulate T cells ex vivo and transfer into patients. Peptides bound to molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), or peptides as such, can also be targets of antibodies, soluble T-cell receptors, and other binding molecules.