Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. By the time it becomes noticeable, it is often so far advanced that a cure is no longer possible. Scientists hope to use a cancer vaccination to activate the patients’ immune system so that it targets and attacks the cancer. They inject the cancer patients with peptides from proteins that occur in particularly high quantities – or exclusively – in cancer cells, together with immunostimulants. Like vaccinations against childhood diseases, where the immune system is stimulated against virus proteins, for example, the idea here is that the immune system will recognize the cancer cells and destroy them. However, if cancer cells are produced that no longer contain the target protein, the tumor may grow again. 

The DKTK scientists working on this project are therefore pursuing a strategy of multi-peptide vaccination. The aim is to activate the immune system against a number of different cancer proteins. If this is successful, tumor cells will no longer be able to escape destruction by the immune system so easily. A previous trial produced the desired activation of the immune system and there were indications that it was having an impact on the tumors. However, that trial involved patients with selected immune characteristics.  Motivated by the results, the scientists are now looking for a broad spectrum of peptides for a vaccine cocktail with maximum effectiveness that can be used in all prostate cancer patients. In addition, modern infrastructure and processes are being developed to produce the peptides. Because of the legal requirements, the manufacturing process has to meet extremely high purity and quality standards. Between them, the participating centers have the necessary scientific, technical and administrative expertise. The resulting multi-peptide vaccine is to be offered to prostate cancer patients as part of a DKTK trial (MultiPro).