bcg-cws

BCG-CWS (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Cell Wall Skeleton) is a bioactive immunological adjuvant derived from the cell wall of Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin. Unlike live BCG used in bladder cancer therapy, BCG-CWS consists of purified structural components of the bacterial cell wall and does not contain live bacteria. It acts as a potent immune adjuvant by activating innate immunity through pattern recognition receptors such as toll-like receptors (notably TLR2), leading to dendritic cell maturation and enhanced antigen presentation. This results in robust activation of both innate and adaptive immune responses, including increased CD4+ T-cell activity and cytotoxic T lymphocyte induction when co-administered with tumor antigens. Clinically, BCG-CWS has been investigated primarily as an intradermal immunotherapy or vaccine adjuvant for various cancers—including melanoma, colorectal cancer, hepatobiliary cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer—and has shown promising safety and efficacy profiles in early-phase clinical studies[2][3][4][6]. The recommended dose established in phase I trials is 100 μg/body administered intradermally[2][3]. Its mechanism involves enhancement of tumor antigen-specific cellular immunity via activation of professional antigen-presenting cells.

Other names

bacillus calmette-guérin cell wall skeletonBCG cell wall skeletonBCG-CWS