Definition

A peptide-based, personalized ovarian cancer therapeutic vaccine consisting of up to 20 neoantigens and peptides derived from patient-specific ovarian cancer immunogenic epitopes, combined with the immunostimulant poly-ICLC, with potential immunomodulating and antineoplastic activities. Upon administration, the personalized neoantigen ovarian cancer vaccine stimulates the host immune system to mount a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against tumor cells expressing the neoantigens, which results in tumor cell lysis. The adjuvant poly-ICLC, composed of double-stranded RNA molecules of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid stabilized with poly L-lysine in carboxymethylcellulose, 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.