How a Specific Protein Fragment Can Train Immune Cells to Fight Cancer

This patent describes methods to fight various cancers by using a specific protein fragment (peptide LYHDIFSRL) to train a patient's immune cells to recognize and attack tumor cells.

What it covers

This patent describes two main ways to use a specific protein fragment, called a peptide, to fight cancer. One method (Claim 1) involves taking T cells from a patient or a donor, activating them in the lab to recognize a specific peptide called LYHDIFSRL (SEQ ID NO: 271) when it's displayed on cancer cells by an MHC molecule, and then giving these activated T cells back to the patient. These trained T cells then seek out and kill cancer cells that display this peptide. The patent lists many cancers that can be treated this way, including glioblastoma, breast cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. The second method (Claim 19) involves directly administering a composition containing the LYHDIFSRL peptide to the patient. This peptide then teaches the patient's own immune system to create T cells that can recognize and attack the cancer cells.

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover methods using different peptides or protein fragments other than LYHDIFSRL (SEQ ID NO: 271) to elicit an immune response against cancer.
• —Does not cover immunotherapies for cancer types not explicitly listed in the claims, such as certain rare cancers or pediatric cancers.
• —Does not cover general cancer treatments that do not involve T cells or the specific peptide-MHC interaction described.
• —Does not cover preventative cancer vaccines that aim to stop cancer from forming in the first place, only treatments for existing cancer.
• —Does not cover T-cell therapies that target cancer cells through mechanisms entirely different from recognizing a peptide presented by an MHC molecule.

The clever bit

The clever part is the identification of a specific, short protein fragment (the LYHDIFSRL peptide) that is consistently displayed on the surface of many different types of cancer cells, allowing the immune system to recognize and target them. This provides a universal 'flag' for T cells to attack a broad spectrum of tumors.

Why it matters

This patent is important because it identifies a specific target, the LYHDIFSRL peptide, that can be used to direct the immune system against a wide range of cancers. This approach, known as immunotherapy, aims to harness the body's natural defenses to fight disease, potentially offering more precise and less toxic treatments than traditional chemotherapy. By focusing on specific tumor-associated peptides, it advances the field of personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to the unique characteristics of a patient's cancer.

Real-world examples

• 1.T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered T-cell therapies
• 2.Peptide-based cancer vaccines
• 3.Adoptive cell therapies for solid tumors
• 4.Immunotherapy treatments for glioblastoma
• 5.Immunotherapy treatments for non-small cell lung cancer