Definition

A peptide-based, personalized cancer therapeutic vaccine consisting of up to 8 patient-specific tumor peptides, which are immunogenic and unique to the patient’s tumor and identified through DNA and RNA sequencing of a patient’s tumor cells, combined with the immunostimulant polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid stabilized with polylysine and carboxymethylcellulose (poly-ICLC), with potential immunomodulating and antineoplastic activities. Upon administration, personalized and adjusted neoantigen peptide vaccine PANDA-VAC stimulates the host immune system to mount a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against tumor cells expressing the neoantigens, leading to tumor cell lysis. The adjuvant poly-ICLC is a ligand for toll-like receptor-3 (TLR3) and induces the release of cytokines which may help to boost the immune response against the selected neoantigens. The vaccine may be adjusted after initial therapy according to sequencing data.