Cancer Vaccine Under Development Using Synthetic Protein

Scientists at Monash and Melbourne universities have developed a synthetic protein fragment or peptide, that could be used to produce a more effective cancer vaccine. Immunologists previously have used synthetic peptides to stimulate immunity to viruses and cancers where naturally-occurring peptides were failing. However, many of these peptides have been unstable and degraded in the blood and peripheral tissues. Associate Professor Mibel Aguilar and Dr Patrick Perlmutter from Monash and Dr Tony Purcell from the University of Melbourne have developed technology that stabilises synthetic peptides, increasing their ability to reach the target area and improve the immune response. They have received $1.2 million funding from Circadian Technologies Ltd to further test the peptide and develop a cancer vaccine. The technology, which has been tested in mice, will soon be tested in laboratories on peptides designed to target immune responses to human melanoma cancer cells.