Immunomic
Therapeutics, Inc. will present preclinical data on its investigational nucleic
acid platform, UNITE (Universal Intracellular Targeted Expression), that
elicits potent immune responses when used with its investigational UNITE
vaccine, ITI-3000, in mice.
UNITE
fuses a tumor-associated antigen, here a mutated form of the large T antigen
(LT) of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), with lysosomal-associated membrane
protein 1 (LAMP1).
The
majority of Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC) are associated with Merkel cell
polyomavirus (MCPyV) infection, making LT an attractive target for therapeutic
cancer vaccines.
The results of this study confirmed the specific antigen immune activation
against polyomavirus by ITI-3000 test on mice. It contains major immune cell
activity such as CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and cytokine secretion.
“ITI-3000
is an innovative and novel targeted approach to a MCPyV vaccine,” says Teri Heiland,
Ph. D., Immunomic’s Chief Scientific Officer. “We are highly encouraged by this
data and look forward to continuing to advance ITI-3000 toward the clinic.”
The
data will be presented at AACR Virtual Annual Meeting II, June 22-24, 2020.