First-in-Class Immunotherapy Designed to Prevent Tumor Recurrence

CARG-2020 provides specific immunological memory. A, 1_107mCherry. TKO mouse ovarian cancer cells were injected i.p. in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were randomized into PBS control and CARG-2020 groups (n . 6) when mCherry ROI fluorescence reached 3.2_108 PFU/cell (designated as day 0). Treatment was given i.p. in three doses of 1_106 PFU CARG-2020 (arrows). Note the disappearance of the mCherry signal in the CARG-2020 treatment group up to day 55, at which point mice were challenged with i.p. injection of 1_107 mCherry. TKO mouse ovarian cancer cells. Mice were followed for tumor formation, and another rechallenge of TKO cells was given on day 94. B, To test for specificity, the experiment in A was repeated with the addition of a group rechallenged with B16 mouse melanoma cells (n.5). Ascites formation was used as a surrogate for i.p. tumor growth and monitored by measuring abdominal width. (age-matched, no tumors, no treatment) mice served as controls for i.p. growth of cancer cells. C, Representative necropsy images showing that CARG-2020 treatment of TKO-bearing mice protected from rechallenge with TKO ovarian cancer cells but not B16 melanoma cells. Yellow arrows point to i.p. tumors.

References:
Alvero et al., Cancer Immunol Res, 2023
Chen et al., Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 2024
Ahmadi et al., Scientific Reports, 2025