DNA origami-based vaccines toward safe and highly-effective precision cancer immunotherapy

<p>Researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, <a href="https://www.dana-farber.org/">Dana-Farber Cancer Institute</a> (DFCI), <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a>(HMS), and <a href="https://www.nst.re.kr/eng/contents.do?key=154">Korea Institute of Science and Technology</a> (KIST) have created a DNA origami platform called <a href="https://wyss.harvard.edu/technology/dorivac-boosting-antigen-specific-immune-responses-with-dna-origami-based-vaccines/">DoriVac</a>, whose core component is a self-assembling square block-shaped nanostructure. To one face of the square block, defined numbers of adjuvant molecules can be attached in highly tunable, nanoprecise patterns, while the opposite face can bind tumor antigens. The study found that molecules of an adjuvant molecule spaced exactly 3.5 nanometers apart from each other resulted in the most beneficial stimulation of APCs that induced a highly-desirable profile of T cells, including those that kill cancer cells (cytotoxic T cells), those that cause beneficial inflammation (Th-1 polarized T cells), and those that provide a long-term immune memory of the tumor (memory T cells). DoriVac vaccines enabled tumor-bearing mice to better control the growth of tumors and to survive significantly longer than control mice.</p>