Antitumor effects of iPSC-based cancer vaccine in pancreatic cancer

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and cancer cells share cellular similarities and transcriptomic profiles. Here, we show that an iPSC-based cancer vaccine, comprised of autologous iPSCs and CpG, stimulated cytotoxic antitumor CD8+ T cell effector and memory responses, induced cancer-specific humoral immune responses, reduced immunosuppressive CD4+ T regulatory cells, and prevented tumor formation in 75% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) mice. We demonstrate that shared gene expression profiles of “iPSC-cancer signature genes” and others are overexpressed in mouse and human iPSC lines, PDAC cells, and multiple human solid tumor types compared with normal tissues. These results support further studies of iPSC vaccination in PDAC in preclinical and clinical models and in other cancer types that have low mutational burdens. [Display omitted] •The iPSC-based cancer vaccine prevents tumor growth in pancreatic cancer•The iPSC-based cancer vaccine induces cytotoxic antitumor T cell and B cell responses•The iPSC-based cancer vaccine reduces immune-suppressive Treg cells•iPSC-cancer signature genes are upregulated in mouse PDAC and human tumors In this article, Wu and colleagues demonstrate that an iPSC-based cancer vaccine, comprised of iPSCs and CpG, stimulated cytotoxic T cell and B cell responses, reduced immune-suppressive Treg cells, and prevented tumor formation in mice injected with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells. The “iPSC-cancer signature genes” are overexpressed among iPSC lines, PDAC cells, and multiple human cancers. These results support further studies of iPSC-based cancer vaccine for treatment of PDAC.