Cancer Program

TP-317: Enabling Checkpoint Inhibitor Response in Cold Tumors

The Checkpoint Inhibitor Ceiling

  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) release the brakes on the body’s natural ability to kill tumor cells. However, ICI only work when cytotoxic T cells are primed with tumor antigens to find and kill tumors.

  • The micro-environment of “cold" tumors frequently lacks primed T cells to respond to checkpoint blockade.

  • Cancer cells evade immune surveillance by downregulating antigen presentation or secreting immunosuppressive signals that suppress cytotoxic T cells.

TP-317: Priming Cold Tumors for Checkpoint Inhibitor Response 

Activating the immune system upstream of checkpoint blockade

  • TP-317 promotes immunogenic phagocytosis of tumor debris — activating the antigen presentation machinery that checkpoint inhibitors require but cannot provide, while reducing tumorigenic inflammation.

  • TP-317 converts cold tumors to hot by priming T-cells and reprogramming tumor cells to present tumor antigens — an effect confirmed by single-cell RNA analysis.

Preclinical Validation

Dual SOC = [anti-PD-1 + chemo] or [anti-PD-1 + anti-CTLA-4]

Huang S, et al. Resolvin E1 sensitizes tumors to immune checkpoint inhibition by stimulating tumor antigen presentation. Cancer Res (2025) 85 (8_Supplement_1): 6912. https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.AM2025-6912