Scripps, based in La Jolla, California, is one of largest private, non-profit research organizations in the US. The investigation will follow up on earlier studies at Antigen Express showing that the modifications being tested led to a stronger immune response to therapeutic antigens encoded by DNA vaccines than were otherwise observed.
Antigen Express is working to develop technology that increases the antigen-specific stimulation of T helper cells. Particularly in the field of cancer immunotherapy, the importance of T helper stimulation has been demonstrated both in preclinical animal models and in the clinic.
Antigens synthesized within cells, as with DNA vaccines, bypass the mechanisms for T helper stimulation, but, by adding genetic elements to DNA vaccines, Antigen Express has developed a simple method to force antigens synthesized within cells to stimulate T helper cells.