On June 1, 2026 Elicio Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ELTX, "Elicio" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, reported the publication of a peer-reviewed manuscript in Science Advances, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, describing a series of novel AMP-DNA adjuvant candidates built from the lymph node-targeting Amphiphile ("AMP") platform technology.
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The manuscript, titled "Lymph node targeted DNA engages TBK1/IFN-I driven innate immunity to induce potent T cell responses and durable memory in mice and NHPs," highlights the ability of these preclinical novel AMP-DNA adjuvants to drive robust, durable immune responses through targeted delivery to lymph nodes and activation of innate immune pathways. This work further builds on the development of the TLR-9-specific AMP-CpG (ELI-004), providing an expanded portfolio of potent lymph node-targeted AMP immunomodulators.
"We are excited to see this work published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal, Science Advances, as we believe it reinforces the breadth and versatility of our AMP platform beyond our initial clinical programs. These data highlight our ability to precisely direct immune activation to the lymph nodes and unlock powerful, durable T cell responses through novel mechanisms, such as TBK1 and type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling. We believe these new AMP-DNA immuno-activators represent a meaningful step toward expanding the AMP toolkit of next-generation immunotherapies across oncology and infectious disease," said Peter DeMuth, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Elicio.
The findings further expand the scientific foundation of Elicio’s AMP platform, which is designed to enhance immune responses by directing therapeutics to the lymph nodes—where immune responses are initiated and coordinated—while minimizing systemic toxicity.
Key Study Highlights
Superior Efficacy: Preclinically, AMP-DNA outperformed current clinical and commercial benchmark adjuvants in head-to-head comparisons, inducing substantially more robust cellular immunity
Potent T Cell Activation: AMP-DNA elicited high frequencies of antigen-specific, polyfunctional CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses across tissues
Long-Term Immunity: Durable immune memory was observed for at least nine months, with rapid and robust recall responses upon antigen re-exposure
Validated in Primates: Findings were replicated in non-human primates, demonstrating strong cellular and humoral immune responses in a translationally relevant model
Lymph Node Precision: AMP-DNA targets lymph nodes to create a localized, highly immunostimulatory environment
Distinct Mechanistic Pathway: Immune activation is driven through TBK1/IFN-I signaling pathways, supporting a differentiated mechanism compared to AMP-CpG which activates TLR-9
Preclinical results demonstrated that AMP-DNA adjuvants significantly enhanced both cellular and humoral immune responses compared to unmodified DNA and clinically relevant adjuvant benchmarks. The technology enabled efficient lymph node delivery and induction of a pro-inflammatory cytokine environment critical for adaptive immunity. In non-human primates, AMP-DNA induced strong T cell responses and high titers of neutralizing antibodies, supporting its potential translational relevance for human applications.
(Press release, Elicio Therapeutics, JUN 1, 2026, View Source [SID1234666348])