How the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy Works

Treatment Paradigms. Shifted.

The ELIAS cancer immunotherapy (ECI®) platform offers a completely new approach to cancer treatment. It is built upon 50+ years of intensive scientific and medical research into the interactions between cancer and the immune response. ECI utilizes a combination of cancer vaccination pretreatment and activated “killer” T cell immunotherapy.

Two-step Treatment. Explained.

Cancer treatment with ECI® involves the following sequential and dependent steps:

step one treatment diagram

Step One: Personalized vaccines prime the immune system to recognize the dog’s unique cancer.

The primary tumor is surgically removed from the canine patient. This cancer tissue is used to produce a personalized cancer vaccine, which primes the dog’s immune system to recognize the cancer.

step two treatment diagram

Step Two: T cell activation and reinfusion launches the immune response. 

The primed immune cells are collected by apheresis, then activated and expanded into an army of killer T cells. The T cells are reinfused into the dog where they attack cancer cells in the body. Low-dose IL-2 injections further support the immune response.

Cancer-Killing Capabilities. Confirmed.

The mechanism of action for ECI® was confirmed in an in vitro study, which demonstrated this personalized adoptive cell therapy initiated a significant immune response against cancer cells (as reported at ACVIM in June 2022).

Activated T cells clustering around cancer cells

Therapeutic Potential. Amplified.

ECI® is a promising oncology treatment modality for canine cancer because:

  • It delivers the potential for tumor-specific cytotoxicity.
  • Clinical outcomes of ELIAS’ osteosarcoma trial, as reported at ACVIM in June 2019, showed adverse events were mostly mild to moderate and were typically transient in nature.
  • This personalized approach could be useful for treating numerous types of cancer and may limit or avoid the use of chemotherapy and radiation.