Advancements in cancer immunotherapy research

Researchers are developing new immunotherapy methods to enhance the body’s ability to recognize and attack cancer cells. In the United States, a collaborative team from Celloram Inc., University Hospitals, and Case Western Reserve University has developed PROTEXI, a dendritic-cell cancer vaccine platform. This technology aims to repurpose the immune memory from SARS-CoV-2 infections or vaccinations by pairing tumor-specific antigens with spike-protein epitopes to boost cytotoxic responses.

Preclinical studies in mouse models for melanoma and breast cancer showed that PROTEXI slowed tumor growth and converted ‘immune-cold tumors’ into those recognizable by the immune system. Following these results, the team announced plans for first-in-human clinical trials targeting sarcoma patients.

Parallel research in Argentina has also identified potential advancements in immunotherapy, specifically finding that blocking the SMYD2 protein may improve immune responses in patients with hepatocarcinoma by making cancer cells more visible to lymphocytes.