B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer. Although pediatric ALL is cured in over 90% of cases, children with high-risk BCP-ALL present increased chance of treatment failure and relapse.
A trio of European cancer vaccine specialists have filed progress reports, with advances in technology and targeting, fresh infusions of cash, and off-the-shelf products moving into the clinic. Six years on from its formation, Ervimmune closed a series A at €17 million (US$19.9 million) to drive forward clinical development of lead program Ervac-01. Accession Therapeutics Ltd. raised a further £30.5 million (US$40.4 million) from its existing investors, following dosing of four patients with Trocept-01. And Infinitopes Ltd. added $15.4 million to its seed round, as it finalizes preparations for a phase I/IIa trial of the lead product ITOP-1.
Approaches that recruit and activate tumor-infiltrating T cells could help reshape the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, making immunotherapy more effective for patients with microsatellite stability and low microsatellite instability colorectal cancers. Oncolytic viruses can offer an alternative to help stimulate the antitumor immunity in ‘cold’ tumors.
In an effort to exploit the advantages of therapeutic bacteria and viruses while avoiding their disadvantages, researchers at Columbia and Rockefeller Universities have developed an anticancer platform called CAPPSID (Coordinated Activity of Prokaryote and Picornavirus for Safe Intracellular Delivery).
Oncolytic viruses are being actively explored as cancer therapies because they preferentially infect tumor cells and cause their lysis. At the same time, the viruses can accommodate transgenes that can stimulate anti-cancer responses in the local tumor microenvironment.
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor characterized by cellular heterogeneity, therapy-resistant glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), and diffuse infiltration. Researchers at City of Hope have reported on targeting GBM using the CF17 oncolytic virus, delivered either directly or via human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neural progenitor cell (NPC) carriers.
Colorectal cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Recent advancements in immunotherapy have demonstrated the potential of targeting immune checkpoints and co-inhibitory pathways to enhance antitumor responses.
Oncolytic viruses trigger immunogenic cell death in tumors, releasing signals that activate innate immune cells and promote tumor-specific T-cell responses. While some oncolytic viruses, including FDA-approved T-VEC, have shown safety and some clinical benefit, their limited effectiveness as standalone treatments underscores the need for combination therapies.
Current anticancer approaches, such as antibody or CAR T-cell therapies, rely on targeting tumor-associated antigens rather than tumor-specific antigens, with the consequent on-target, off-tumor effects.
