Filipino scientists conduct research on potential multi-targeted vaccine vs. cancer

A study is seeking to contribute to cancer immunotherapy in the development of vaccines against deadly cancer types such as pancreatic, liver, colorectal, and lung through gene expression analysis and immunoinformatics.

The research was conducted by Arturo Gaitano III from Adamson University’s Chemistry Department and Leana Rich Herrera-Ong from the University of the Philippines Manila’s Department of Biochemistry.

Gaitano told GMA News Online that he and Herrera-Ong did the research in UP Manila. He added that the latter conceptualized the study. 

The study identified epitopes in tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and showed their potential to trigger a strong immune response.

An epitope is a region on the surface of an antigen - a molecule that triggers an immune response - that is recognized by the immune system. 

The study showed that all the candidate epitopes exhibit acceptable binding affinity with various Human Leukocyte Antigen I alleles, a key factor in immune recognition. 

“The epitopes are not cross-reactive, non-allergenic, and non-toxic which indicate an acceptable safety profile,” the study read. “Moreover, the candidate epitopes showed wide coverage in various populations including Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and South America where the four cancer types are prevalent.”

“As such, these epitopes are prime candidates for further in vitro and in vivo analysis. Overall, candidate CD8+ epitopes identified in this study could aid in the development of a multipurpose and multi-targeted immunotherapeutic agents against pancreatic, liver, colorectal, and NSCLC,” it added. 

Citing the World Health Organization, the study noted that lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in 2022 at 18.7% globally, followed by colorectal cancer (9.3%) and liver cancer (7.8%).  — BAP, GMA Integrated News