Optimized cancer stem cell vaccines

1. An immunogenic composition, comprising: a cancer stem cell (CSC) lysate from spheroid CSC-enriched cultures obtained from non-adherent, serum-free tumor cell spheroid cultures from established tumor cell lines, wherein the spheroid cultures of the CSCs comprise elevated expression of ALDH compared to the established tumor cell line cells not cultured in serum-free medium and not under non-adherent culture conditions; and at least one adjuvant, the at least one adjuvant comprises cationic liposome-DNA complex (CLDC), cationic liposome DNA-pIC complex (CLDPC), or a combination thereof wherein the immunogenic composition does not include dendritic cells.

2. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , wherein elevated ALDH is 1.1-fold or more in the spheroid CSC cultures compared to the same established tumor cell line cells not cultured in serum-free medium and under non-adherent conditions.

3. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , wherein the spheroid cultures of the established tumor cell line derived CSCs further comprise elevated expression of at least one of CD90 and CD117 compared to the established tumor line cells not cultured in serum-free medium under non-adherent culture conditions.

4. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , wherein the established tumor cell line derived CSCs are derived from a tumor of a subject having at least one condition comprising a small-cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, cancer of the peritoneum, hepatic carcinoma, colon cancer, melanoma, glioma, Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, or combinations thereof.

5. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition consists essentially of a cancer stem cell (CSC) lysate derived from established tumor cell line cells cultured to enrich for spheroid CSC-enriched cultures obtained from non-adherent, serum-free solid tumor cell spheroid cultures; at least one adjuvant, the at least one adjuvant comprising cationic liposome-DNA complex (CLDC); and at least one agent capable of blocking recruitment of, or reducing migration of monocytes.

6. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , wherein the CSCs of the CSC lysate further comprise elevated expression of one or more of CD90, CD117, Sca1, CD133, CD34, CD73, Nanog, Klf-4, and Oct3/4 compared to adherent, serum cultured tumor cell cultures.

7. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , wherein the cancer stem cell lysate is obtained from cancer stem cells having undergone at least one of one or more freeze-thaw cycles.

8. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , wherein the cancer stem cell lysate is derived from established tumor cell lines, originally generated from at least one cancer type comprising lung cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, uterine carcinoma, salivary gland carcinoma, kidney cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, vulvar cancer, thyroid cancer, head and neck cancer, or combinations thereof.

9. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one adjuvant is a cationic liposome-DNA complex (CLDC).

10. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , wherein the CSC lysate comprises from about 50 μgs to about 500 μgs of protein.

11. The immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one agent capable of blocking recruitment of or reducing migration of monocytes.

12. The immunogenic composition according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one agent capable of blocking recruitment of or reducing migration of monocytes comprises at least one agent capable of reducing the activation of, or blocking an angiotensin II receptor (ARB) comprising at least one of losartan, azilsartan, candesartan, eprosartan, irbesartan, olmesartan, telmisartan, and valsartan, or a combination thereof.

13. The immunogenic composition according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one agent capable of blocking recruitment of or reducing migration of monocytes comprises at least one agent capable of reducing activation of, or blocking activation of a C—C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2).

14. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

15. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 14 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is formulated for administration to a subject for delivery subcutaneously, intramuscularly, intradermally, intravenously, intranasally, or intraarterially.

16. A kit comprising at least one immunogenic composition according to claim 1 , and at least one container.