Federica Cappuccini

I have studied biology at "Roma Tre" University in Rome and obtained my PhD degree at the University of Duisburg-Essen in the summer of 2013. 

With my main scientific interests being cancer, immunology and virology, I wanted to contribute to a project that could directly translate research in a clinical setting. Thus, I joined the prostate cancer vaccine program at the Jenner Institute in September 2013.

Working on a EU funded project to develop an effective vaccine against prostate cancer, we have started and completed a phase I clinical trial in low-intermediate risk prostate cancer patients receiving viral vectored vaccines targeting the tumour associated antigen 5T4. Currently, we are running a phase I/II clinical trial in intermediate risk and advanced metastatic prostate cancer patients receiving the same vaccines in combination with PD-1 checkpoint blockade.

My work at the Jenner Institute also includes comparative immunogenicity and efficacy assessments of a range of new and old cancer antigens in pre-clinical models of prostate cancer using viral vectored vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors. These studies should lead to the identification of the most effective antigen(s) and combination therapies for further clinical development.

Key Publications

Cappuccini F, Bryant R, Pollock E, Carter L, Verrill C, Hollidge J, Poulton I,  Baker M, Mitton C, Baines A, Meier A, Schmidt G, Harrop R, Protheroe A,  MacPherson R,  Kennish S, Morgan S, Vigano S,  Romero PJ, Evans T, Catto J, Hamdy F, Hill AVS, Redchenko I. Safety and immunogenicity of novel 5T4 viral vectored vaccination regimens in early stage prostate cancer: a phase I clinical trial. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 2020;8:e000928. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000928

Cappuccini F, Pollock E, Stribbling S, Hill AVS, Redchenko I. 5T4 oncofoetal glycoprotein: an old target for a novel prostate cancer immunotherapy. Oncotarget. 2017 Jul 18;8(29):47474-47489.

Cappuccini F, Stribbling S, Pollock E, Hill AV, Redchenko I. Immunogenicity and efficacy of the novel cancer vaccine based on simian adenovirus and MVA vectors alone and in combination with PD-1 mAb in a mouse model of prostate cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2016 Jun;65(6):701-13.