STING agonist formulated cancer vaccines can cure established tumors resistant to PD-1 blockade

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a cytosolic receptor that senses both exogenous and endogenous cytosolic cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), activating TBK1/IRF3 (interferon regulatory factor 3), NF-κB (nuclear factor κB), and STAT6 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 6) signaling pathways to induce robust type I interferon and proinflammatory cytokine responses. CDN ligands were formulated with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-producing cellular cancer vaccines--termed STINGVAX--that demonstrated potent in vivo antitumor efficacy in multiple therapeutic models of established cancer. We found that rationally designed synthetic CDN derivative molecules, including one…

• MR
  Melanoma Research Alliance

  Awards: 1R01 AI27655, 1PO1 AI63302
• SV
  Skip Viragh Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: R01 CA178613, K23 CA148964-01