The LICR believes that future efforts to improve upon the partial clinical success of the commercially available vaccines may be compromised by a limited understanding of the critical components that may activate an immune response against cancer. LICR has therefore chosen to pursue a comprehensive strategy for the development of cancer vaccines, based upon the identification of the antigens most effective for inducing immunity against cancer.

To develop cancer vaccines, LICR and the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) in New York, USA have established the Cancer Vaccine Collaborative, an innovative partnership between two not-for-profit groups that are committed to taking responsibility for translating their laboratory discoveries into effective cancer therapies.

Cancer vaccines are developed through several steps:

Identification of Cancer Antigens: The use of methods pioneered by LICR investigators to identify cancer antigens based upon their inherent immunogenicity; i.e. interaction with humoral (antibody) and cellular (T cell) components of the immune system.

Characterization of Antigens: Exhaustive mRNA and immunohistochemical characterization in vitro are undertaken to determine cancer restricted expression and definition of the fine specificity of serological and T cell reactivity (see Cancer Antigen Discovery Program).

Comparison of Vaccine Reagents and Adjuvants: A meaningful evaluation of four broad antigen compositions - protein, peptide, live vectors, and plasmid DNA - is only possible in a human setting. Thus, antigenic compositions are being tested in multiple parallel trials at several clinical sites, each testing a single variable to evaluate safety and induction of specific immunity. Due to heterogeneity of antigen expression and the possibility of immune evasion or escape by tumors, LICR continues to evaluate additional components for use in combination with defined vaccines and multiple-antigen vaccines (see Cancer Vaccine Program).

Evaluation of Immune Response: The measurement of humoral and cellular immune responses using standardized monitoring methodologies, enables data from different clinical trials to be compared meaningfully. Additionally, the meticulous immunological monitoring of immunized patients in early-phase clinical trials is a key element for developing successful vaccines (see Cancer Vaccine Program).