Amplifying Immune Responses: Microparticulate Vaccine Approach Against Breast Cancer

Abstract

Introduction

The study focuses on evaluating the immune responses generated by a novel microparticulate murine breast cancer vaccine.

Methods

The methodology included the use of a co-culture model of dendritic cells (DCs), and T-cells to evaluate the immunotherapeutic responses generated by the vaccine.

Results

The study observed that the dendritic cells expressed significantly higher levels of MHC I, MHC II, CD 40, and CD 80 cell surface markers in the presence of the vaccine microparticles than the controls (p<0.05). This response was potentiated in the presence of an adjuvant, Poly (I:C). The study also demonstrated that the vaccine microparticles do not elicit inflammatory (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2, and IL-12) or immunosuppressive (IL-10) cytokine production when compared to the control.

Discussion

In conclusion, the study established the role of DCs in stimulating the cancer vaccine’s adaptive immune responses.

Keywords:

• dendritic cells
• adjuvants
• poly I:C
• adaptive immune response
• vaccine formulation

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) for the New Investigator Award grant funding that supported this project. We also acknowledge the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) for the Gateway to Research Scholarship to Michelle Ubowski regarding this research project. Additionally, we are thankful to Mr. Frank Murante and Dr Ernest Smith from Vaccinex Inc., Rochester, NY, for assisting with the flow cytometry studies. Lastly, we are grateful to Dr Hyla Sweet at Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, for helping with the confocal studies.

Disclosure

Michelle Ubowski is employed by and is a shareholder of Pfizer, Inc., outside of the submitted work. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.