Pancreas tumors, 950 thousand euros for vaccine development project

(ANSA) - TURIN, 04 JAN - From the funds of the Pnrr, a loan of 950 thousand euros arrives at the Molinette hospital in Turin for the 2.0 DNA vaccine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

The project is coordinated by Francesco Novelli, full professor of immunology and director of the University's Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences. It was developed with the support of the non-profit Molinette Research Foundation and will be conducted together with the Giaccone Polyclinic Unit of Serena Wonder.

   The aim is to validate Eno3pep as a second generation vaccine, virtually administrable to all patients with pancreatic cancer.

The patent, already filed, is entitled "a second generation DNA vaccine coding for the immunodominant alpha-enolase sequences for the treatment of pancreatic cancer".

The funding will enable the Research Consortium to complete a translational research path carried out at the Molinette hospital and obtain ministerial authorization for the clinical study of the vaccine, thus making it "certainly more attractive - reads a note from the subalpine University - for many investors from the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

   "For years - explains the University - Professor Novelli's laboratory has been studying the relationship between the immune system and pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive and lethal tumours.

   These studies have led to the identification of a hyper-expressed protein in pancreatic cancer, alpha-enolase, capable of triggering both an antibody response and the activation of anti-tumor T lymphocytes in patients with pancreatic cancer.This immunostimulatory property has suggested the development of a DNA vaccine, encoding the entire sequence of alpha-enolase which is proved effective, and to a greater extent in combination with chemotherapy, in delaying the progression of pancreatic cancer in animal models, without however eradicating it completely.

   In order to increase the therapeutic efficacy of the vaccine, Professor Novelli's group has developed a second generation DNA vaccine, selecting only some sequences of the entire alpha-enolase having the ability to stimulate a stronger and more sustained anti-tumor response (ENO3PEP).

In animal models, the ENO3PEP vaccine proved to be more effective and powerful than the first generation vaccine in blocking tumor progression and triggering an anti-tumor immune response". (ANSA).