Patient-specific tumor-initiating cell-derived neoantigen (TIC-derived neoantigen)

Patient-specific tumor-initiating cell-derived neoantigens represent a specialized class of targets in personalized cancer immunotherapy. These neoantigens are unique peptides resulting from somatic mutations within tumor-initiating cells (TICs), also known as cancer stem cells, which are responsible for tumor growth, metastasis, and resistance to conventional therapies. By isolating these TICs from a patient's own tumor and loading their specific antigens onto autologous dendritic cells, the immune system can be trained to recognize and eliminate the most resilient cell populations within a malignancy. This approach aims to prevent disease recurrence by targeting the 'roots' of the tumor rather than just the bulk tumor mass. Clinical applications, such as the AV-GBM-1 vaccine for glioblastoma, utilize this mechanism to enhance survival by inducing a robust, specific T-cell mediated immune response against the patient's unique tumor profile.

Other names

Cancer stem cell-associated neoantigenTIC-specific neoantigenPersonalized tumor-initiating cell antigenCSC-derived neoantigen

Induction of a patient-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against tumor-initiating cells (TICs) by presenting TIC-derived neoantigens via autologous dendritic cells to the immune system.