Synthetic Platforms
SNAP for tolerance (e.g. autoimmunity)
Importantly, SNAP’s modular design has enabled discovery of a lead SNAP tolerance vaccine that is designed to induce regulatory T cells (“Tregs”) and mitigates disease in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (EAE). Based on its capacity to induce Tregs promoting tolerance we are advancing SNAP tolerance vaccine as a versatile platform for treating inflammatory diseases with initial clinical proof-of-concept being pursued in celiac disease.
SNAP for cancer
Our recent publications in Nature Biotechnology and Nature Immunology describe how the SNAP cancer vaccine was systematically optimized to codeliver immunostimulants and tumor antigens for inducing high magnitude cytotoxic T cells for treating cancer. Preclinical studies have shown that efficacy with SNAP is further enhanced when used in combination with our ChAdOx platform.
SNAP’s differentiating advantages
- Potential therapeutic opportunities enabled by modular design allowing for programmable induction of cytotoxic T cells for cancer or Tregs for tolerance
- Synthetic platform may increase breadth of targets for the immune system, such as post-translationally modified antigens inaccessible to RNA and viral vaccines
- Repeatable administration by any route may assist in sustaining T cell responses.