Tumor-associated antigens (TAA) contained in autologous tumor lysate (ATL) (ATL-TAA)

Tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) contained in autologous tumor lysate (ATL) represent a personalized antigenic payload derived from a patient's own surgically resected tumor tissue (PubMed: 30233154). This lysate contains a diverse array of both shared TAAs and unique, patient-specific neoantigens resulting from somatic mutations (NIH: PMC6313139). By utilizing the entire tumor proteome, therapies targeting these antigens aim to stimulate a robust, polyclonal T-cell response that can recognize multiple epitopes on malignant cells, thereby reducing the likelihood of tumor escape through antigen loss (PubMed: 29795950). This approach is most commonly employed in the production of autologous dendritic cell vaccines, such as DCVax-L, where the lysate is used to "pulse" or load the cells ex vivo before re-infusion into the patient (Journal of Translational Medicine: 2018). Clinical applications have been extensively explored in aggressive malignancies such as glioblastoma multiforme and metastatic melanoma (Lancet Oncology: 2023). The use of autologous material ensures that the treatment is tailored to the specific molecular profile of the individual's cancer, addressing the high degree of inter-patient tumor heterogeneity.

Other names

Autologous tumor lysatePatient-specific tumor antigensWhole tumor lysate antigensATLTumor-derived antigens

Induction of a polyclonal immune response by presenting a broad spectrum of patient-specific neoantigens and shared tumor antigens to the host immune system, typically via dendritic cell loading or direct administration with adjuvants (PubMed: 24121543).