Linked CD4 T Cell Help: Broadening Immune Attack Against Cancer by Vaccination.

In the last decade, immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies targeting immunological check points has become a breakthrough therapeutic modality for solid cancers. However, only up to 50 % of patients benefit from this powerful approach. For others vaccination might provide a plausible addition or alternative.

A plant-expressed conjugate vaccine breaks CD4(+) tolerance and induces potent immunity against metastatic Her2(+) breast cancer.

Passive antibody therapy for cancer is an effective but costly treatment modality. Induction of therapeutically potent anticancer antibodies by active vaccination is an attractive alternative but has proven challenging in cancer due to tolerogenic pressure in patients. Here, we used the clinically relevant cancer target Her2, known to be susceptible to targeting by antibody therapy, to demonstrate how potent antibody can be induced by vaccination.