Join us for our monthly virtual presentation facilitated by experts in their field.

October 16, 2025

12:00 - 1:00 pm (Eastern)

TOPIC: Breaking Barriers in Tumor Immunology: Cross-Species Insights and the Promise of Anti-CSPG4 Vaccination in Canine Cancer
Presenter: Dr. Federica Cavallo

Overcoming tumor relapses and resistance to conventional treatments remains a major challenge in canine and human oncology. Targeting tumors through a combinatorial approach that integrates standard therapies with cancer vaccines offers a promising path forward. One such target is chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), a tumor-associated antigen highly expressed in malignant melanoma (MM) and osteosarcoma (OSA) but minimally present in normal tissues.

A novel human-dog hybrid CSPG4 DNA vaccine (HuDo-CSPG4; MeraVax) has been developed to enhance immune recognition. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that HuDo-CSPG4 vaccination is safe, immunogenic, and extends survival in dogs with CSPG4+ MM and OSA. The induced immune response, encompassing both cellular and antibody-mediated mechanisms, correlates with improved patient outcomes.

These findings underscore CSPG4’s potential as a therapeutic target in canine cancer and support the use of HuDo-CSPG4 vaccination as a powerful tool to break immune tolerance and enhance treatment efficacy in MM and OSA. Moreover, this approach could pave the way for the development of similar CSPG4-targeted immunotherapies in human oncology.

I am a Full Professor of Immunology at the University of Turin (Italy), Medical School. I am conducting my research activities at the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences. With over 30 years of experience in basic and translational cancer immunotherapy, I graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Turin, where I studied the interactions between tumors and the immune system. I obtained a Ph.D. in Tumor Immunology from the same institution, focusing on the role of cytokines in the immune recognition of tumors. During my postdoctoral training, I made significant contributions to the field of cancer immune prevention and adjuvant immunotherapy. Since 2001, I have been leading an active and motivated Italian research group at the University of Turin. I have secured a fully independent grant portfolio up to the present. The lab is dedicated to studying the tumor microenvironment and anticancer strategies in pre-clinical models. Our emphasis is on developing vaccines targeting antigens that play a non-dispensable role in cancer cells (oncoantigens). Notably, we collaborate with the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of our University, exploring chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG)4 as an ideal target for adjuvant antitumor vaccination in client-owned dogs with CSPG4-expressing tumors. A recent milestone includes the development and patenting of a DNA vaccine encoding a chimeric human/canine CSPG4 hybrid protein (Nucleic acid molecules encoding for chimeric CSPG4 proteins and therapeutic uses thereof. US10849967B2; EP3397275).

Our monthly presentations are one hour long and cover a variety of topics we believe you will find interesting and educational. Also, all sessions are recorded and made available in our Resource Library for viewing on-demand by our members at a later time.