Modeling vaccine-induced immunotherapy: treatment scheduling and robustness with virtual mice cohorts

Therapeutic vaccines are used to boost patients’ immune system activity by imposing signals that increase T cell proliferation or infiltration. A large population of cytotoxic T cells may then be able to reduce tumor growth. We developed here a mathematical model of vaccine-induced immunotherapy and used it to test the vaccine frequency and doses that can reduce tumor burden. Since tumors are heterogeneous, we examined if the proposed treatments are robust; i.e, are successful for a wide range of tumors. This was assessed by constructing virtual mice cohorts. Together, the optimal and most robust treatment protocol was determined through mathematical modeling.