Argonaut: from the synthesis of ganglioside tumour antigens to a platform for cancer active immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is currently revolutionizing cancer therapy by harnessing the power of the innate and adaptive immune system against cancer cells, thus providing a more tumour-selective approach in assistance to traditional treatments. The identification of tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs), aberrant types of glycans decorating the surface of tumour cells, has paved the way for the development of new types of cancer vaccines. However, while significant progress has been made in this area of research, TACA-based cancer vaccines have not yet reached the clinic. In this context, ARGONAUT will address some limitations that characterize classical approaches in carbohydrate cancer vaccine development, with the overall aim of establishing a strategy to access novel, more effective, and fully synthetic vaccine candidates. ARGONAUT’s journey aims at the preparation of vaccine candidates based on ganglioside-type TACAs (expressed in melanoma, neuroblastoma, and small cell lung cancer) that are easy to formulate, able to elicit a immune response independent from individual polymorphisms, and with better chances to reach the clinical environment. Employing a synthetic carbohydrate chemistry approach, ARGONAUT explores its application as a tool to contribute to H2020 European efforts in cancer research, while providing excellent training in a multidisciplinary and intersectoral environment through a well-implemented work-plan. From another perspective, ARGONAUT’s impact will also benefit from the transfer of knowledge to the host institution with the establishment of a new research line in active cancer immunotherapy.