Elicio Therapeutics announced that it presented preclinical data demonstrating its Amphiphile platform adjuvant AMP-CpG combined with cell surface-associated viral protein EBV gp350 and EBVpoly protein, which elicits a robust and durable immune response to Epstein-Barr virus.
- Data showed that vaccination with AMP-CpG combined with EBV gp350 and EBVpoly proteins delivered directly to the lymph nodes rapidly induced potent gp350-specific antibodies (IgG), EBV neutralizing antibody responses and EBV-specific T cell responses in HLA transgenic mice.
- The potent humoral and cellular immunity induced by AMP-CpG was durable, with responses maintained for >7 months.
BOSTON, July 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elicio Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases, today announced that it presented preclinical data demonstrating its Amphiphile (AMP) platform adjuvant AMP-CpG combined with cell surface-associated viral protein EBV gp350 and EBVpoly protein, which elicits a robust and durable immune response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV gp350 is expressed on the outside of the virus and on the cells producing the virus, making it a major target for neutralizing antibodies and CD4+ T cells, while EBVpoly protein contains multiple epitopes for CD8+ T cells. The data was presented at the 2022 Keystone Symposia on Viral Immunity Basic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Applications virtually and in-person at the Keystone Resort in Keystone, CO from June 29-July 2, 2022. The electronic poster is accessible here.
EBV is a herpesvirus responsible for the well-known mononucleosis infections (“mono”) and has also been implicated in multiple lymphoid and epithelial cancers. EBV targets both B cells and epithelial cells and utilizes their molecular machinery to replicate the viral genome. The virus causes B cells to differentiate into memory B cells, which then can move into the circulatory system, or become latent until a trigger causes reactivation. Approximately 95%1 of the adult population worldwide is infected with EBV which persists for the life of the individual, however, there is currently no approved vaccine.
“Vaccines against EBV have historically been difficult to develop because of the associated viral latency, persistence and immune modulation properties which enable it to evade effective antibody targeting,” said Lisa McNeil, Ph.D., Head of Translational Medicine at Elicio Therapeutics. “These data reinforce what we’ve seen in previous studies with our AMP platform, demonstrating the potent and durable immune responses elicited by delivering a therapeutic payload direct to the lymph nodes, the control center of the immune system. By targeting the most abundant glycoprotein expressed on the virus with the AMP-CpG adjuvant, in a mouse model mimicking human-specific immune responses to viral infection, we were able to induce neutralizing antibodies and strong T cell responses. This holds great promise for prevention of EBV associated diseases and controlling the spread of latently infected B cells.”
The EBV vaccine is based on the research of Dr. Rajiv Khanna, Professor, Senior Scientist and Coordinator of QIMR Berghofer’s Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development. Professor Khanna said, “I am encouraged by the data demonstrating the potential of the AMP-CpG adjuvant combined with the EBV proteins to not only activate but supercharge the immune system as shown by the high frequencies of polyfunctional gp350-specific CD4+ T cells and EBVpoly-specific CD8+ T cells induced in this model.”
Poster Presentation Details
Title: A Lymph Node Targeted Engineered Subunit Antigen and Molecular Adjuvant Vaccine Promotes Potent Cellular and Humoral Immunity to Epstein Barr Virus in HLA-expressing Mice
Highlights from the Poster
- EBVpoly is a polyepitope protein developed at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute that includes 20 CD8+ T cell epitopes from EBV latent and lytic antigens with broad coverage against multiple HLA types.
- AMP-CpG delivers adjuvant directly to lymph nodes, boosting the immune response to protein antigens.
- Vaccination with AMP-CpG combined with EBV gp350 and EBVpoly proteins rapidly induced potent gp350-specific IgG and EBV neutralizing antibody responses in HLA transgenic mice.
- AMP-CpG immunization induced high frequencies of polyfunctional gp350-specific CD4+ T cells and EBVpoly-specific CD8+ T cells.
- The potent humoral and cellular immunity induced by AMP-CpG was durable, with responses maintained for >7 months.
- The broad coverage against multiple viral determinants and the AMP-CpG adjuvant are likely to provide better protection against primary EBV infection while the strong T cell responses will be critical in controlling the spread of latently infected B cells and the development of EBV-associated diseases, such as malignancies and multiple sclerosis.
About the Amphiphile Platform
Our proprietary Amphiphile, or AMP, platform delivers investigational immunotherapeutics directly to the “brain center” of the immune system – the lymph nodes. We believe this site-specific delivery of disease-specific antigens, adjuvants and other immunomodulators may efficiently educate, activate and amplify critical immune cells, potentially resulting in induction and persistence of potent adaptive immunity required to treat many diseases. In preclinical models, we have observed lymph node-specific engagement driving therapeutic immune responses of increased magnitude, function and durability. We believe our AMP lymph node-targeted approach will produce superior clinical benefits compared to immunotherapies that do not engage the lymph nodes.
Our AMP platform, originally developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, has broad potential across cancers, infectious diseases and other disease indications to advance a number of development initiatives through internal activities, in-licensing arrangements or development collaborations and partnerships.
The Amphiphile platform is thought to deliver immunotherapeutics directly to the lymph nodes by latching on to the protein albumin, found in the bloodstream, as it travels to lymphatic tissue. In preclinical models, we have observed lymph node-specific engagement driving therapeutic immune responses of increased magnitude, function and durability.
About Elicio Therapeutics
Elicio Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. By combining expertise in immunology and immunotherapy, Elicio is engineering investigational Amphiphile immunotherapies that are intended to precisely target and fully engage the lymph nodes, the site in our bodies where the immune response is orchestrated. Elicio is engineering lymph node-targeted AMPlifiers, immunomodulators, adjuvants and vaccines for an array of aggressive cancers and infectious diseases. Through its partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center, Elicio is exploring ways to improve CAR-T cell therapies for patients with hematological cancers with the addition of CAR-T AMPlifiers that actively engage the lymph nodes.
Elicio began dosing subjects in AMPLIFY-201, its Phase 1/2 clinical trial in solid tumor subjects for its lead Amphiphile vaccine, ELI-002, targeting KRAS-driven cancers in October 2021. The Amphiphile platform emerged from the laboratories of Darrell Irvine, Howard Hughes Investigator and Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. For more information, please visit https://elicio.com/.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from historical results or any future results, performance or achievements expressed, suggested or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our plans with respect to our Phase 1/2 Dose-Escalation Study of ELI-002 (AMPLIFY-201), the ability of ELI-002 to target all seven common KRAS mutations, including G12C, the ability of our proprietary AMP platform to deliver ELI-002 directly to the lymph nodes and our belief that it may stimulate an enhanced immune response, the timing of the availability of initial safety, dose escalation, and correlative biomarker data from the Phase 1 portion of AMPLIFY-201, and the general ability and potential of our proprietary Amphiphile, or AMP, platform, to deliver investigational immunotherapeutics directly to the lymph nodes. Applicable risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from historical results or any future results, performance or achievements expressed, suggested or implied by our forward-looking statements include, among others: the potential that we experience slower than expected enrollment in our clinical trials, we identify serious side effects or other safety issues, we do not have clinical supply of our product candidate that is adequate in amount and quality and supplied in a timely fashion, and the inherent risks of clinical development; our limited operating history and historical losses; our need to raise capital to fund our research and development programs; the early stage nature of the development of our product candidates; our ability to obtain orphan drug designation from the FDA; competition from various competitors in the markets targeted by our product candidates, including from competitors with substantially greater resources than us; our general dependence on third parties in connection with manufacturing, clinical trials and preclinical studies; the potential complexity of the manufacturing process for our product candidates; our ability to protect our intellectual property; our dependence on the patents we license from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT; our compliance with healthcare laws and regulations; and risks relating to the impact on of COVID-19 or other infectious diseases on our business. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect our current views with respect to future events, and we do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
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1 Womack J, Jimenez M. Common questions about infectious mononucleosis. Am Fam Physician. 2015 Mar 15;91(6):372-6. PMID: 25822555.
