Tumor invasion and metastasis are the primary drivers of cancer-related mortality. Therapies that have an ability to specifically target invasive and/or metastatic cells are anticipated to have a significant impact in the clinical management of advanced cancers.

Researchers at the NCI have developed a vaccine technology that stimulates the immune system to selectively destroy metastasizing cells. Brachyury, a master transcription factor that governs the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, was shown to be significantly overexpressed in primary and metastasizing tumors relative to normal human tissues. Stimulation of T cells with the Brachyury peptide promoted a robust immune response and the targeted lysis of invasive tumor cells. Brachyury overexpression has been demonstrated in a range of human tumors (breast, lung, colon and prostate, among others) suggesting that a therapeutic vaccine derived from this technology would be broadly applicable for the treatment of cancer.

Competitive Advantages:

• Treatment targets invasive and metastatic tumor cells which are the primary cause of cancer-related mortality.
• Vaccine can eliminate cancer stem cells which are resistant to conventional therapies
• Compatible with the clinically-proven TRICOM cancer vaccine platform
• Available (Optimized) for use with non-pox, non-yeast vectors including: adenovirus, lentivirus, etc., and for use with protein- or peptide-based vaccines

Commercial Applications:

• Preventative cancer vaccine for patients with precancerous lesions of the breast, colon or prostate.
• Therapeutic cancer vaccine for the treatment of disseminated and late-stage tumors.
• Vaccine component of a multi-modal cancer therapy