Amplify patient-specific immune response

We know the role of the immune system in controlling and eliminating malignant cells. However, it is also known that the immune response to tumours is sometimes dominated by the tolerance or regulation likely to lead to escape rather than to the efficacy of this immunity.

Overall, the various types of tumour antigens (neoantigens generated by "transient" random mutations, "conductive" mutation products, outlier or overexpression of normal genes and proteins,etc.) induce a mechanism for the eradication of tumours by their destruction by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) specific to these tumour antigens.

However, there are different mechanisms of escape from the immune response, however, sometimes linked to a lack of production of the tumour antigen(s) or to the tumour microenvironment.

It is therefore sometimes useful to amplify the tumour signal to amplify the anti tumour immune response of the patient.

Hastim's innovation

It is this need that gave rise to our first work seeking to select, concentrate and "inject" the patient, the tumour antigenic "material" in the most appropriate form possible for its recognition by the Antigen Presenter Cells (APC) and the activation of the proliferation and differentiation mechanisms of the active CTLs.

At the beginning of our studies we demonstrated that calcium phosphate ceramics (in particular hydroxyapatite HA) are capable of transfecting cells grown in tissue culture with a high yield and an efficiency that also extends to cells that are not in direct contact with the particles.

transfection

Hastim purify these proteins from the patient's tissues on hydroxyapatite particles which are reinjected subcutaneously into the patient. The particles serve as a purification element, an adjuvant and a vector for the proteins in the Antigen Presenter Cells (APCs). This technology makes it possible to attest to the systemic non-toxicity of the elements making up this autologous vaccine.