TAA/ecdCD40L adenoviral prime-protein boost vaccine for cancer and infectious diseases.

A vaccine platform has been created by attaching the target-associated antigen (TAA) for the vaccine to the extracellular domain (ecd) of the potent immunostimulatory signal CD40 ligand (CD40L). Attachment of the TAA to the CD40L promotes uptake of the TAA into dendritic cells (DCs), binding to Class I as well as Class II MHC leading to presentation of the TAA on the DCs, expansion of the TAA-specific B cell and CD8 effector T-cell lymphocytes, and induction of a memory response. In addition, the TAA/ecdCD40L vaccine can overcome anergy, induce regressions of pre-existing subcutaneous (SC) nodules of cancer cells, and induce high titers of neutralizing antibodies against viral antigens. This vaccine, which can be administered SC as a TAA/ecdCD40L fusion protein, or as expression vectors (viral or plasmid) or as a vector prime-protein boost strategy, is applicable to the development of vaccine for a wide range of cancers and infectious agents.