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[HEALTH] · United States · 6 sources

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PROTEXI Cancer Vaccine Platform Moves Toward First‑in‑Human Trials

Scientists from Celloram Inc., University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have created PROTEXI, a dendritic‑cell cancer vaccine that repurposes the massive SARS‑CoV‑2 immune memory generated by infection and vaccination. The platform pairs tumor‑specific antigens with spike‑protein epitopes to harness pre‑existing antiviral CD4+ helper T‑cell memory, boosting CD8+ cytotoxic responses.

In multiple preclinical mouse models of melanoma and breast cancer, PROTEXI slowed tumor growth, improved survival and converted immune‑cold tumors into ones that could be recognized and attacked. Efficacy was also shown in humanized mice using immune cells from COVID‑19‑vaccinated donors. The research was published in Nature Communications on 27 July 2026 and was funded by the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and the U.S. National Cancer Institute. The team now plans first‑in‑human clinical trials of PROTEXI in patients with sarcoma.

Entities

Case Western Reserve University · Celloram Inc. · PROTEXI · PROTEXI · SARS‑CoV‑2 · SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein · Seong‑Jin Kim · University Hospitals

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