Istituto Di Ricerche Di Biologia Molecolare P. Angeletti Spa

Takis S.r.l.

Instituto Di Richerche Di Biologia Molecolare P. Angeletti Spa

Luigi Aurisicchio

Gennaro Ciliberto

Nicola La Monica

Rita Mancini

Domenico Lazzaro

Emanuele Marra

Guiseppe Roscilli

Daniela Peruzzi

Federica Mori

Andrea Facciabene

The present invention describes methods and pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of cancer in mammals, more particularly in human subjects. More specifically, the invention concerns anti-tumor vaccines based upon plasmid DNA and/or genetic vectors carrying a codon-usage optimized sequence and coding for a mutant form of the ErbB-3 receptor. Furthermore, the invention refers to monoclonal antibodies directed against the ErbB-3 receptor, obtained using these methods and capable to block its activity in cancer cells.

Immunotherapy against ErbB-3 receptor

Compositions comprising matrix metalloproteinase 11 (MMP-11) or stromelysin-3 (ST-3) or the nucleic acid encoding the MMP-11 for use in vaccines for treating tumors and cancers, which overexpress MMP-11, are described. In particular embodiments, the compositions comprise a nucleic acid encoding a fusion polypeptide that includes the catalytically inactivated MMP-11 linked at the C-terminus to an immunoenhancing element wherein the codons encoding the MMP-11 and the immunoenhancing element have been optimized for enhanced expression of the fusion polypeptide in human cells. In other embodiments, the compositions comprise the catalytically inactivated MMP-11 linked at the C-terminus to an immunoenhancing element. The compositions can be used alone or in synergy with vaccines against other tumor associated antigens as well as with conventional therapies such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Matrix metalloproteinase 11 vaccine

Polynucleotides encoding carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) fusion proteins are provided, the CEA fusion proteins comprising a CEA protein, or functional variant thereof, fused to a substantial portion of an immunoenhancing element. The polynucleotides of the present invention can elicit an immune response in a mammal, which, in preferred embodiments, is stronger than the immune response elicited by a wild-type CEA. The gene encoding CEA is commonly associated with the development of human carcinomas. The present invention provides compositions and methods to elicit or enhance immunity to the protein product expressed by the CEA tumor-associated antigen, wherein aberrant CEA expression is associated with a carcinoma or its development. This invention specifically provides adenoviral vector and plasmid constructs carrying polynucleotides encoding CEA fusion proteins and discloses their use in vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions for preventing and treating cancer.

Carcinoembryonic antigen fusions and uses thereof

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Rome, Italy

Luigi Aurisicchio