IO Biotech Unveils Promising Preclinical Data for Next-Generation Cancer Vaccines Targeting Tumor Microenvironment
核心洞察
IO Biotech presented preclinical data for two new T-win vaccine candidates, IO112 targeting arginase 1 and IO170 targeting TGF-β, at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer's 40th Annual Meeting.
IO112 demonstrated anti-tumor activity by modulating immunosuppressive myeloid cells and tumor-associated macrophages, shifting the tumor microenvironment from immunosuppressive to pro-inflammatory.
IO170 showed significant tumor growth inhibition and reduction of lung metastasis through TGF-β-specific T cell activation in preclinical cancer models.
IO Biotech announced promising preclinical data for two next-generation therapeutic cancer vaccine candidates at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer's 40th Annual Meeting (SITC 2025) in Maryland. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company presented data for IO112, targeting arginase 1, and IO170, targeting transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, both derived from the company's proprietary T-win® platform.
"This new data is extremely important for our development path as it points toward more potential indications for our novel, immune-modulatory therapeutic vaccines to treat patients with a range of cancers," said Mai-Britt Zocca, PhD, President and CEO of IO Biotech. The company expects to file an Investigational New Drug Application for IO112 in 2026.
IO112 Targets Immunosuppressive Myeloid Cells
IO112, the company's second therapeutic cancer vaccine candidate, targets arginase 1 (Arg1), which plays a central role in immune suppression. Arg1 over-expression has been reported in several cancers including renal cell carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, and head and neck cancer. All immune suppressive myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment express Arg1, and their roles in cancer immune resistance mechanisms are well established.
The preclinical data demonstrated that IO112 vaccination leads to robust expansion of Arg1-specific T cells, which directly target and reprogram immune suppressive myeloid cells, including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). This results in tumor growth inhibition through dynamic changes in the tumor microenvironment.
"Our second investigational therapeutic vaccine candidate, IO112 targeting arginase 1, demonstrates dynamic changes in the TME with anti-tumor activity driven by the vaccine-targeted modulation of immunosuppressive myeloid cells, including tumor-associated macrophages, shifting the balance from an immunosuppressive to a pro-inflammatory microenvironment, leading to effective anti-tumor responses," explained Ayako Wakatsuki Pedersen, PhD, Senior Vice President of Translational Research at IO Biotech.
IO170 Demonstrates Anti-Metastatic Activity
The third vaccine candidate, IO170, targets the TGF-β signaling cascade, which plays an essential role in a wide range of tumors. Cancer cells and components of the tumor microenvironment, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and blood vessels, exploit this pathway to support disease progression during tumor evolution.
Previous global inhibition strategies targeting the TGF-β pathway in clinical studies have fallen short of anticipated success. IO170 represents an alternative approach where TGF-β-specific T cells are activated through peptide vaccination to target TGF-β-expressing cells and promote anti-tumor activities.
The preclinical data for IO170 demonstrated significant tumor growth inhibition and reduction of lung metastasis in cancer models. Dr. Pedersen noted that the data for both IO112 and IO170 support further investigation into how these unique immunomodulatory approaches can serve as strategies to treat a wide range of cancer indications.
Unique T-win Platform Approach
Both vaccine candidates are based on IO Biotech's proprietary T-win® platform, which represents a novel approach to cancer vaccines designed to activate T cells to target both tumor cells and immune-suppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment. This dual-targeting strategy distinguishes IO Biotech's approach from conventional cancer vaccine platforms.
"These preclinical data illustrate the potential of additional peptide vaccines based on our proprietary T-Win® platform with our unique approach directed against both tumor cells and the most important immune-suppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment," said Dr. Pedersen.
The company's lead cancer vaccine candidate, Cylembio (搜索)®, is currently advancing through clinical trials, while IO112 and IO170 continue through preclinical development. IO Biotech is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with US headquarters in New York.