Advaxis uses live, attenuated bioengineered Listeria monocytogenes as a therapeutic agent. We start with a live, attenuated strain of Listeria then add multiple copies of a plasmid that encodes a fusion protein sequence including a fragment of the LLO (listeriolysin O) molecule joined to the antigen of interest. This fusion protein is secreted by the Listeria inside the antigen presenting cells, and other cells, which has been shown to result in a strong stimulation of both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system and a reduction in tumor defense mechanisms.
Advaxis immunotherapies are designed to stimulate many complementary immune mechanisms of action, including:
- Strong innate immune effects
- Strong adaptive immune effects
- Reduction of both Tregs and MDSCs in tumors but not in other tissues or systemically
- Memory generation that is not impaired by antibiotics administered immediately after dosing
- Chemotaxis and extravasation of activated immune cells
- Upregulation of tumor chemokines and chemokines receptors
- Epitope and antigen spreading
- A predominantly cellular immune response with little antibody formation