Description

Clinical Phase II

Over the past decade, many scientific publications have documented the effectiveness of DNA vaccines in contributing to immune responses in dozens of species, including fish, non-human primates and humans. Compared with conventional vaccines that use live, weakened or dead pathogens to produce an immune response, this method potentially offers superior safety and ease of manufacturing, as well as convenient storage and handling characteristics. DNA vaccines have the potential to induce potent T cell responses against target antigens and to trigger production of antibodies.

The Technology 

Prof Freda Stevenson has developed therapeutic DNA fusion gene vaccines encoding tumour antigens fused to an immunoenhancing sequence, which significantly promotes the immune response to the DNA vaccine. These vaccines can be designed to activate antibody and/or T cell responses, providing focused immune attack on selected antigens. Immunoenhancing sequences incorporated into the vaccines include Fragment C of tetanus toxin (FrC) or domain 1 of Fragment C (pDOM).

The key to bypassing immune tolerance and activating high levels of anti-tumour antibody or cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) lies in inducing CD4+ T cell help. Incorporation of sequences derived from FrC provides for the engagement of T helper cells from a large anti-microbial repertoire to help immune responses against the tumour antigen.

Download the PDF of DNA Fusion Vaccines

For more information please contact

Dr Elisabeth Parker

+44 (0) 20 3469 6300 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)