Chinese Researchers Successfully Develop Cancer Vaccine Using Novel Microcapsules

A team of Chinese researchers has been successfully able to develop a new therapeutic cancer vaccine that can trigger the immune system and elicit a response to stop further development of the tumor.

Several studies concerning therapeutic cancer vaccines that trigger the immune response to act against the tumor cells have produced promising results in the past. However, this time around, the approach of the Chinese scientists was a bit different.

Scientists from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences based their cancer vaccine on self-healing polylactic acid microcapsules. The team, led by Prof. MA Guanghui and Prof. WEI Wei from IPE, has previously worked on development and fabrication of several tumor vaccines, which have already been proven effective in certain tumor models such as breast cancer, lymphoma and melanoma.

However, the team wanted to improvise on the process as an unfavorable immunization microenvironment, frequent need for vaccinations and a complicated preparation process compromised with the performance of the previously designed cancer vaccines.

Therefore, Prof. Ghanghui said that the team designed “a novel microcapsule-based formulation for high-performance cancer vaccinations."

The study, published in the journal Science Advances on Friday, May 22, describes the use of self-healing microcapsule “with post-encapsulation, multiple loading, and efficient modulation of immunization microenvironments in a tumor vaccine.”

According to the study, the microcapsules create a suitable immunization microenvironment in situ, wherein antigen release kinetics, recruited cell behavior, and acid surrounding work in a synergetic manner.

The scientists report that due to this, antigen utilization is increased, with an improvement in antigen presentation and activation of antigen-presenting cells. This results in effective T cell response, facilitating antimetastatic effects and inhibition of potent tumor.

The neoantigen vaccine uses a novel vaccine platform that conforms to precision medicine. The post-encapsulation process is simple and not complicated and therefore, the researchers were able to prepare the neoantigen vaccine by themselves for the study in tumor models at any time.

The surgeons also report the prevention of postsurgical recurrence achieved in different types of antigens. Although the results seem promising, the researchers say that there is a lot to go and test before the vaccine goes from the bench to testing.