Immunogenicity and antitumor activity of the superlytic lambda F7 phage nanoparticles displaying a HER2/neu-derived peptide AE37 in a tumor model of BALB/c mice

Phage display technique has been increasingly researched for vaccine design and delivery strategies in recent years. In this study, the AE37 (li-Key/HER-2/neu 776-790) peptide derived from HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor protein) was used as a fused peptide to the lambda phage (lambda F7) coat protein gpD, and the phage nanoparticles were used to induce antitumor immunogenicity in a TUBO model of breast cancer in mice. Mice were immunized with the AE37 peptide displaying phage, lambda F7 (gpD::AE37) every 2-week intervals over 6-weeks, then the generated immune responses were evaluated. An induction of CTL immune response by the lambda F7 (gpD::AE37) construct compared to the control lambda F7 and buffer groups was observed in vitro. Moreover, in the in vivo studies, the vaccine candidate showed promising prophylactic and therapeutic effects against the HER2 overexpressing cancer in BALB/c mice. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.