Cancer Vaccine based Efficacy Evaluation Service in Mouse Tumor Models

Cancer vaccines are one type of immunotherapy that can boost the host immune response against cancer cells by presenting tumor antigens. Typical vaccine delivers tumor antigen in the form of peptides, protein fragments, or nucleic acids, with varied platforms. It is assumed that the vaccines would modulate tumor immunosuppressive environment and induce both humoral and adaptive immunity.

Cancer vaccines can be divided into therapeutic, prophylactic, and personalized types. There are currently four FDA-approved vaccines for preventing cancer and two for cancer treatment. With 19 neoantigen targets under investigation in clinical trials, cancer vaccines are being evaluated both alone and in combination with other treatments for a variety of cancer types.

Fig. 1 Different types of cancer vaccine platforms. (Vishweshwaraiah et al. 2022)

Several model systems can be used to test the potency of cancer vaccines, each representing specific features of the tumor-host relationship. Syngeneic tumor models develop rapidly and provide prompt answers to proof-of-concept studies. The antigenic profile and growth characteristics are readily available, and the murine tumor cell can be genetically humanized. More recently, tumors that are built from transgenic mice and human immune system-engrafted mice are widely used. These models mirror more features of human cancer but take longer to develop (a single experiment may last more than a year). In summary, transplantable and transgenic tumor models constitute complementary approaches in the analysis of tumor-immune systems and the development of cancer vaccines.

Using animal models, the immunogenicity of cancer vaccines has been tested, validated, and enhanced. Creative Biolabs provides a range of murine models for the in vivo evaluation of cancer vaccines, including murine syngeneic, transgenic, and humanized mouse models.

Our Capabilities that Support Cancer Vaccine Research

Animal Models

Murine syngeneic tumor models

Subcutaneous and orthotopic implantation for breast, colorectal, liver, lung, and melanoma cancers.
Human antigen (BCMA, CD19, EPCAM, HER2, PD-L1)-expressing murine cancer cell lines available.

Transgenic mouse models

Genetically humanized mouse model replicating specific human cancer mutations (HER2, KRAS).
Genetic backgrounds and promoters tunable for customization.
Human immune checkpoint (e.g., CTLA4, CD28, OX40, PDCD1, PDL1, TIGIT, TNFRSF4, TNFRSF9) knock-in mice for the combined immunotherapy.

Fig. 2 Cancer vaccine immunization scheme. (Segatori et al. 2012)

Humanized mouse models

NOD-scid-IL2rg null based system with full immune defects.
hPBMC/hHSC immunodeficient mice transplanted with human tumor.

Preclinical evaluation of vaccine potency

Humoral immune response, cytokine production, lymphocyte proliferation, vaccine safety.

Tumor growth progression, metastasis, survival time

Therapeutic activity of elicited antibodies in tumor antigen-positive xenografts.

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