PROTEIN NANOPARTICLES AND COMBINATION THERAPY FOR CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY

Cancer-testis antigens were simultaneously packaged with CpG adjuvant and incorporated into an E2 nanoparticle platform to increase cancer vaccine efficacy. Also described herein is a combination of checkpoint blockade therapy and the nanoparticle vaccine platform to deliver cancer antigens with adjuvant for treatment of tumors and prevention of future tumors. The nanoparticle vaccine platform includes a protein capsule to which are attached adjuvants in the internal hollow cavity and cancer epitopes to the surface. Whereas single-therapies only increase survival, the combined therapy can both increase survival time as well as prevent tumor development in pre-existing tumor conditions by increasing tumor antigen-specific responses (via the nanoparticle vaccines) while simultaneously blocking checkpoints to remove immune suppression (via immune checkpoint inhibition). Furthermore, tumor re-challenge studies show evidence of T cell memory which can prevent tumor development in some individuals.