Projects / Programmes
Creation of tumor vaccines
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 3.04.00 |
Medical sciences |
Oncology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B520 |
Biomedical sciences |
General pathology, pathological anatomy |
| B200 |
Biomedical sciences |
Cytology, oncology, cancerology |
experimental oncology, tumor immunology, tumor vaccines, gene therapy of cancer, cytokines, immunostimulators
Researchers (15)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0302 |
Institute of Oncology Ljubljana |
Ljubljana |
5055733000 |
15,468 |
Abstract
How to destroy cancer cells without damaging the normal cells? How to make conventional methods of systemic cancer treatment that predominantly comprise cytotoxic drugs more selective and prevent the development of drug resistance? There is an abundance of such questions that do not have simple answers. If, a few years ago, unselective cytotoxic drugs were the method of choice for the treatment of cancer, in the last 25 years we are witnessing the rapid transition of immunotherapy from the laboratories to the clinics. In this project, we present one of the applicable aspects of immunotherapy - i.e. the preparation of tumor vaccines. The proposition of the project is an extension of our former project in which we were pioneers in Slovenia in the development of tumor vaccines. In the context of the proposed project, we plan to prepare both syngeneic and allogeneic tumor vaccines. Both types of vaccines will be designed as classical tumor vaccines or by means of a genetic manipulation. Classical tumor vaccines will comprise sublethally irradiated tumor cells and nonspecific immunomodulators (the application of BCG and Detox is considered). Genetically modified vaccines will also include irradiated tumor cells into which the genes of interest will be introduced. The transfer of genes coding for TNF-α, IFN-γ, G-CSF, IL-2 or GM-CSF is planned in the form of plasmids to achieve the transient expression of these genes. Efforts will be made also to ligate two genes into one plasmid, and to introduce two plasmids comprising two different genes into the same cells. Basic tumor models applied in the follow-up of the effectiveness of the newly created vaccines will be the intraperitoneal and the subcutaneous B-16 tumor models. Our interest will be focused on the potency of the vaccines to prevent tumor development as well as on their effect against developed tumors. The proposed project represents a classical pre-clinical work where, with a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, we intend to upgrade the preparation of various tumor vaccines, and to enlighten some basic mechanisms underlying the effects of tumor vaccines.
