Using Two Specific RNAs to Teach the Body to Fight Lung Cancer

This patent describes an active composition containing two specific messenger RNAs, NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A3, designed to stimulate an immune response in a mammal to treat lung cancer, especially non-small cell lung cancers.

What it covers

The patent claims an "immunostimulatory composition" (Claim 25) that includes two specific RNA molecules. The first RNA carries instructions for making a protein called NY-ESO-1, and the second RNA carries instructions for making MAGE-A3. These proteins are known as antigens because they can trigger an immune response. The idea is that when these RNAs are introduced into the body, cells will produce these specific tumor proteins, teaching the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells that also have these proteins. The RNAs can also have special parts like 5' and 3' UTR sequences, a Poly-A sequence, and a 5' Cap (Claims 26-29) to make them more stable and effective. They can also be combined with "cationic compounds" like lipids or peptides (Claims 30-32) to help them get into cells. For example, a doctor might administer this composition to a patient with non-small cell lung cancer to help their body fight the disease by stimulating an anti-tumor immune response (Claim 43).

What it doesn't cover

• —Compositions that do not include both a first RNA encoding NY-ESO-1 and a second RNA encoding MAGE-A3 as core components (Claim 25).
• —Immunotherapies that rely on DNA or protein-based vaccines instead of RNA molecules (Claims consistently specify "RNA" and "mRNA").
• —Compositions where the coding regions of the NY-ESO-1 or MAGE-A3 RNAs are not at least 85% identical to the specified sequences (SEQ ID NO: 21 and SEQ ID NO: 17, respectively), particularly if G/C content is increased (Claims 34, 38).
• —Methods of treating cancer that do not involve stimulating an anti-tumor immune response in the subject (Claim 43).
• —Compositions using entirely different tumor antigens as the primary active ingredients, without including NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A3.

The clever bit

The novelty lies in combining two specific tumor antigens, NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A3, within an RNA-based immunostimulatory composition. The patent also highlights optimizing the RNA's G/C content (Claims 33-39) to potentially improve its stability and how much protein it produces, making the immune response stronger.

Why it matters

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer deaths, and current treatments often have significant side effects. This patent explores a targeted approach using messenger RNA (mRNA) to train the body's own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. This type of immunotherapy, particularly mRNA-based vaccines, represents a significant area of research for treating various cancers, offering the potential for more precise and less toxic therapies.

Real-world examples

• 1.CureVac's ongoing research into mRNA cancer vaccines
• 2.Moderna's mRNA-based oncology clinical trials
• 3.BioNTech's mRNA cancer immunotherapy programs
• 4.Other experimental mRNA-based immunotherapies for solid tumors