A vaccine-based nanosystem for initiating innate immunity and improving tumor immunotherapy

Nat Commun. 2020 Apr 24;11(1):1985. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-15927-0.

Abstract

The unsatisfactory response rate of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) immunotherapy severely limits its clinical application as a tumor therapy. Here, we generate a vaccine-based nanosystem by integrating siRNA for Cd274 into the commercial human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 (HPV16 L1) protein. This nanosystem has good biosafety and enhances the therapeutic response rate of anti-tumor immunotherapy. The HPV16 L1 protein activates innate immunity through the type I interferon pathway and exhibits an efficient anti-cancer effect when cooperating with ICB therapy. For both resectable and unresectable breast tumors, the nanosystem decreases 71% tumor recurrence and extends progression-free survival by 67%. Most importantly, the nanosystem successfully induces high response rates in various genetically modified breast cancer models with different antigen loads. The strong immune stimulation elicited by this vaccine-based nanosystem might constitute an approach to significantly improve current ICB immunotherapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / therapeutic use*
  • B7-H1 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • B7-H1 Antigen / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / immunology
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Cancer Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Cancer Vaccines / genetics
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology
  • Capsid Proteins / genetics
  • Capsid Proteins / immunology
  • Cell Line, Tumor / transplantation
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Human papillomavirus 16 / genetics
  • Human papillomavirus 16 / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate / genetics
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Mice
  • Nanoparticles / administration & dosage*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral / genetics
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral / immunology
  • Progression-Free Survival
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / administration & dosage
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Tumor Microenvironment / genetics
  • Tumor Microenvironment / immunology
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / administration & dosage
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / genetics
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Capsid Proteins
  • Cd274 protein, mouse
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Vaccines, Synthetic
  • L1 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16