Corner Therapeutics, an in vivo T cell modulation and immunotherapy company pioneering novel approaches to cancer and infection, published research in mBio, a leading microbiology journal, showing that a novel technology to generate T cells in vivo significantly outperforms standard influenza vaccine adjuvants.

The study shows that the technology elicits a broadly acting immune response that targets all strains of influenza present in the commercial quadrivalent influenza vaccine Afluria. This finding may open the door for the development of a universal flu vaccine that could eliminate the need for annual immunization. Beyond influenza, the study serves as proof-of-concept for Corner's technologies for oncology, where the generation of robust and durable T cell responses is critical for treating cancer.

In this study, the scientists at Corner discovered a new class of drugs, called hyperactivators, which engage nature’s T cell engineers in vivo, the dendritic cells. When used in vaccine settings in non-human primates, the influenza vaccine Afluria was converted into a universal formulation capable of targeting all virus strains – all while maintaining excellent safety margins.

“Our hyperactivator technology addresses a fundamental challenge for vaccines: how to protect people from broad strains of a virus while providing a durable, lifelong immune response,” said Jonathan Kagan, Distinguished Scientist at Corner Therapeutics. “This research validates a central dogma in immunology, that dendritic cells are the best conduit to robust T cell responses and immunity. This work not only moves us one step closer to a universal influenza vaccine that could eliminate the need for annual shots, but also provides proof-of-concept for our approach to cancer immunotherapies, where T cell activities are key to tumor eradication.”

Revolutionary Approach to Vaccine Enhancement

Corner’s hyperactivator technology was tested in both mice and non-human primates, where it enhanced cross-strain antibody responses and generated robust T cell memory. Unlike existing adjuvants such as aluminum hydroxide (Alum), Corner's hyperactivators do not kill dendritic cells, but rather instruct these apex regulators of immunity to generate long term memory. This innovative approach represents a fundamental shift in how immunotherapies can be optimized for maximum health.

Corner Therapeutics aims to begin clinical trials of its hyperactivator technology by the end of 2027.

In addition to the hyperactivator technology, Corner Therapeutics is advancing its DCITE (Dendritic Cell Initiated T cell Engineering) platform to instruct dendritic cells to stimulate durable T cell immunity. Using lipid nanoparticle formulations to deliver mRNA encoding specific antigens directly to dendritic cells, DCITE enables the in vivo generation of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells to treat existing cancers and infections.