Cancer immunotherapy modulates IL-12, IL-17 and PD-L1 pathways to prevent tumor recurrence: Study

Targeting multiple immune mechanisms may overcome therapy resistance and further improve cancer immunotherapy for humans. The authors of a new article published in Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B describe the application of virus-like vesicles (VLV) for delivery of three immunomodulators alone and in combination, as a promising approach for cancer immunotherapy. The enveloped self-amplifying mRNA CARG-2020 modulates IL-12, IL-17 and PD-L1 pathways to prevent tumor recurrence.

VLV vectors were designed to deliver single chain interleukin (IL)-12, short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), and a dominant-negative form of IL-17 receptor A (dn-IL17RA) as a single payload or as a combination payload.

Intralesional delivery of the VLV vector expressing IL-12 alone, as well as the trivalent vector (designated CARG-2020) eradicated large established tumors. However, only CARG-2020 prevented tumor recurrence and provided long-term survival benefit to the tumor-bearing mice, indicating a benefit of the combined immunomodulation.

The abscopal effects of CARG-2020 on the non-injected contralateral tumors, as well as protection from the tumor cell re-challenge, suggest immune-mediated mechanism of protection and establishment of immunological memory.

Mechanistically, CARG-2020 potently activates Th1 immune mechanisms and inhibits expression of genes related to T cell exhaustion and cancer-promoting inflammation.

The ability of CARG-2020 to prevent tumor recurrence and to provide survival benefit makes it a promising candidate for its development for human cancer immunotherapy.

More information:
Ju Chen et al, Cancer immunotherapy with enveloped self-amplifying mRNA CARG-2020 that modulates IL-12, IL-17 and PD-L1 pathways to prevent tumor recurrence, Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.08.034

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