What is Cancer Immunotherapy and how is Torigen's Solution Different?
Every day we are surrounded by logos. Some are iconic, instantly-recognizable symbols of brands that shape the world around us. On the surface, logos are clever representations of the brand, yet often convey an underlying story through their design. Consider the yellow smile in the Amazon logo telling you they have everything you need – from A to Z. Likewise, the purple and orange FedEx logo expresses their values: prestige, drive, and success; the arrow between the E and X communicates the mission: speed, accuracy, and perseverance.
The same is true for Torigen. Our logo shows an antigen bound to an antibody (the O and the R), which is our way of sharing how we harness the power of the immune system to improve the lives of companion animals.
Exciting advances in veterinary medicine
Cancer immunotherapy is one of the most exciting advances in veterinary medicine. With so many recent therapeutic innovations it’s challenging to keep up. Here’s a brief overview of cancer immunology to quickly get you up to speed. There are three main types of cancer antigens: tumor-specific (i.e., a mutation resulting in a new protein), tumor-associated (i.e., excess normal proteins), and stromal (i.e., blood vessels and connective tissue supporting cancer growth). Tumor-specific and stromal antigens are found in many patients with the same cancer, and tumor-specific antigens are unique to the individual patient.
We offer a customized approach to immunotherapy
Torigen’s Autologous Prescription Product is a whole-tissue autologous cancer vaccine. By incorporating all three groups of antigens in our vaccine, we provide the patient’s immune system with a unique antigenic “fingerprint” of their own cancer. Our customized approach combines patient-specific cancer tissue with a potent protein adjuvant. Torigen’s Autologous Prescription Product is unique to the patient and is an option for cancer immunotherapy independent of cancer type or patient species. This approach has been used in human cancer patients, and there is an FDA-approved Autologous Cancer Vaccine for men with advanced prostate cancer, with more under development.
Providing antigens to the immune system is not always enough to create an effective immune response. That’s why adjuvants are added to vaccines. Torigen’s Autologous Prescription Product incorporates a protein adjuvant in order to boost the immune response to the included cancer antigens. This adjuvant recruits antigen-presenting cells (e.g., macrophages) to the injection site, facilitates the recognition of tumor antigens, and stimulates the production of cytokines needed to drive an effective immune response. Many cancer immunotherapy strategies focus on one group of lymphocytes: CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells. We now know that a balanced immune response that also incorporates CD4+ helper T-cells and B-cells is important in determining cancer patient outcomes. Preliminary data demonstrates a balanced response to Torigen’s Autologous Prescription Product. Future studies will help further define this mechanism of action with the ultimate goal of identifying patients that will be good responders in order to improve case selection.
Hopefully now when you see Torigen’s logo, you’ll recall the association of harnessing the power of the immune system. If you'd like to learn more about our customized approach to immunotherapy, reach out to us today at 860-519-9956 to schedule a call to learn about how to incorporate our therapy into your practice.