Study in Science Advances shows proprietary Spherical Nucleic Acid (SNA) vaccine platform slows tumor growth and extends survival in preclinical models of HPV-related cancer

Flashpoint Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of structural nanomedicines, today announced a major, peer-reviewed publication demonstrating the power of its Spherical Nucleic Acid (SNA) platform in immuno-oncology. The study, led by Flashpoint’s scientific co-founder Professor Chad A. Mirkin at the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University, describes a novel therapeutic vaccine that generates a potent and targeted immune response against established human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven cancers in a preclinical animal model.

The research, published in the journal Science Advances, details a structurally novel vaccine design where an HPV antigen and a powerful immune-stimulating adjuvant are co-engineered onto a single SNA scaffold. This architecture is the key to the vaccine’s success, ensuring both components are delivered to the same immune cells in the lymph nodes, resulting in a highly coordinated and robust anti-tumor response. In humanized mouse models of HPV-positive cancer, the therapeutic vaccine significantly slowed tumor growth and extended survival.

Key findings from the study highlight the unique advantages of Flashpoint’s structural nanomedicine approach:

• Potent Immune Activation: The SNA vaccine elicited a strong T-cell response specifically directed at cancer cells expressing the HPV E7 antigen.
• Superior Efficacy Through Co-delivery: The SNA structure, which guarantees co-delivery of the antigen and adjuvant, was critical for generating a powerful therapeutic effect.
• Therapeutic, Not Just Prophylactic: Unlike existing HPV vaccines to prevent infection, this SNA-based approach is designed to treat active, established cancers caused by the virus.

A key insight from the publication is the mechanism behind the SNA vaccine's enhanced potency. The research demonstrates that the specific placement and orientation of the antigen within the SNA is critical for its therapeutic effect. Unlike simple mixtures where the tumor antigen and the adjuvant can be taken up by different cells, the SNA platform ensures that both components are delivered as a single unit to the same antigen-presenting cells. This simultaneous co-delivery within the lymph nodes generates a more powerful and coordinated T-cell response, effectively training the immune system to seek out and destroy cancer cells.

“This publication highlights the fundamental advantage of structural nanomedicine,” said Venkat Krishnamurthy, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Flashpoint Therapeutics. “By precisely engineering how therapeutic components are arranged and presented at the nanoscale, we can generate biological responses that exceed what is achieved when the same components are delivered conventionally. In this study, that architectural control translated into coordinated immune activation, tumor growth suppression, and improved survival. It is an important validation of our SNA platform and supports our strategy to advance therapeutic cancer vaccines and other immuno-oncology applications.”

Barry Labinger, Chief Executive Officer of Flashpoint Therapeutics, added, “These results strengthen our conviction that structural design is a powerful lever in medicine. We are focused on translating this platform into clinically meaningful therapies and building a pipeline that leverages this differentiated approach.”

HPV is the leading cause of cervical, anal, and head and neck cancers. While prophylactic vaccines against HPV are effective, there remains a significant unmet need for better treatments for patients who are unvaccinated and develop advanced HPV-related malignancies.

About Flashpoint Therapeutics

Flashpoint Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new class of precision-engineered structural nanomedicines. Our platform enables the creation of targeted therapies that co-deliver optimized combinations of therapeutic components directly to individual cells, enhancing drug delivery, stability, potency, and safety. This modular approach supports a broad range of therapies, encompassing modalities like mRNA, siRNA, DNA, proteins, and CRISPR. The company’s proprietary discovery platform is founded on nanotechnology research developed over the past decade at the laboratory of Prof. Chad Mirkin, Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University. Through strategic licensing and acquisition transactions with Northwestern University, Holden Pharmaceuticals, and Exicure, Flashpoint has assembled more than 150 issued patents and patent applications covering nucleic acid, protein, and CRISPR gene editing therapeutics. The company is funded by key investors, including Beta Lab and CS Venture Opportunities Fund. The company has also established an important partnership with King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), which will advance the technology platform via the Flashpoint-KAIMRC Center of Excellence in Structural Nanomedicine and clinical trials in Saudi research institutions.

For more information about Flashpoint Therapeutics, please visit www.flashpoint.bio.

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