Anti cancer vaccine comprising whole cancer cells with modified sialic acid

摘要

When tumor cells are incubated with N-propionyl mannosamine, the N-acetyl groups of their surface a2-8 polysialic acid are converted to N-propionyl groups. The resultant bio-engineered cancer cells can be killed and used as a allogenic or autologous therapy or vaccine. The presence of N-propionylated polysialic acid-specific antibodies is detected in animals immunized with the vaccine prior to tumor implantation. Mice immunized with the heat-killed cancer cells experience better protection against challenge with live autologous RMA-S cells than mice immunized with heat-killed autologous RMA-S cells. Killed cells having modified sialic acid groups on their surface may be used as an anti-cancer therapy or vaccine either alone or in combination with an anti-cancer compound, such as cyclophosphamide.