An adjuvant-containing cDC1-targeted recombinant fusion vaccine conveys strong protection against murine melanoma growth and metastasis

• Type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1) efficiently cross-present antigens that prime cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells. cDC1 therefore constitute conceivable targets in cancer vaccine development. We generated recombinant fusion cancer vaccines that aimed to concomitantly deliver tumor antigen and adjuvant to CD103(+) migratory cDC1, following intranasal administration. The fusion vaccine constructs comprised a cDC1-targeting anti-CD103 single chain antibody (aCD103) and a cholera toxin A1 (CTA1) subunit adjuvant, fused with MHC class I and II- or class II-restricted tumor cell antigens to generate a CTA1-I/II-aCD103 vaccine and a CTA1-II-aCD103 vaccine. The immunostimulatory and anti-tumor efficacy of these vaccines was evaluated in murine B16F1-ovalbumin (OVA) melanoma models in C57BL/6 J mice. The CTA1-I/II-aCD103 vaccine was most efficacious and triggered robust tumor antigen-specific CD8(+) T cell responses along with a Th17-polarized CD4(+) T cell response. This vaccine construct reduced the local growth of implanted B16F1-OVA melanomas and efficiently prevented hematogenous lung metastasis after prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination. Anti-tumor effects of the CTA1-I/II-aCD103 vaccine were antigen-specific and long-lasting. These results imply that adjuvant-containing recombinant fusion vaccines that target and activate cDC1 trigger effective anti-tumor immunity to control tumor growth and metastasis.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Immunologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Immunology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Dendritic cells

cancer vaccine

metastatic melanoma

murine models

immunostimulatory

dendritic cells

cancer-immunotherapy

Oncology

Immunology

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)