HLA-A*0201-restricted multi-epitope vaccine EP-2101 (EP-2101)

EP-2101 is a multi-epitope immunotherapy designed to stimulate the immune system against cancer cells by presenting specific peptide fragments on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). These fragments are derived from five well-characterized tumor-associated antigens (TAAs): Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), Receptor Tyrosine-Protein Kinase erbB-2 (ERBB2/HER2), Cellular Tumor Antigen p53 (TP53), and Melanoma-Associated Antigens 2 and 3 (MAGE2/3) (Brunsvig et al., J Clin Oncol, 2007). The epitopes are specifically selected to bind to the HLA-A*0201 molecule, a common human leukocyte antigen allele, allowing for recognition by CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00076115). To bolster this response, the vaccine includes the Pan-DR epitope (PADRE), which activates CD4+ helper T-cells to provide necessary cytokines and support for a robust and sustained anti-tumor effect (Alexander et al., J Immunol, 2000). This multi-target approach is intended to reduce the likelihood of tumor escape through antigen loss and has been primarily evaluated in clinical trials for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Brunsvig et al., J Clin Oncol, 2007).

Other names

EP-2101Epimmune 2101Multi-epitope cancer vaccineCEA/HER2/p53/MAGE-2/MAGE-3/PADRE vaccine

Induction of antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response through the presentation of tumor-associated antigen epitopes on HLA-A*0201 molecules.