Peptide synthesis in oncology therapeutics 

Oncology researchers use peptides in the form of patient-specific neoantigen vaccines as immunotherapy cancer treatments. Neoantigens are tumor-specific antigens resulting from somatic mutations in the cancer tumor cells that can generate strengthened immune responses causing T-cells to attack the cancer cells. In this line of research, identifying antigens with the most effective human leukocyte antigen (HLA) binding is vital and is determined for patient-specific tumors for individualized treatments.  

Parallel peptide synthesis quickly generates a set of neoantigens determined from whole-exon sequencing and mutational analysis of patient’s tumor cells. Speed is critical since the tumor cells are rapidly mutating and there is a limited time window for the targeted vaccine. The resulting peptide pool is administered to patients with adjuvants and in clinical studies personalized neoantigen vaccines have been shown to improve treatment outcomes in cancers such as melanoma or glioblastoma.  

Our solid phase peptide synthesizers deliver the speed, reliability, purity and flexibility required for development of advanced oncology therapeutics.