|
ImmunoCellular taps MD Anderson in T cell research
agreement
11-12-2015
EDIT CONNECT
SHARING OPTIONS:
LOS ANGELES—ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd. has begun a
sponsored research agreement with Dr. Cassian Yee of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer
Center, an internationally recognized researcher and leading expert in the identification and isolation of cytotoxic T cells. Yee is a professor in the
Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, as well as in the Department of Immunology, Division of Cancer Medicine, in addition to
being director of Solid Tumor Cell Therapy at MD Anderson's Center for Cancer Immunology Research.
Yee will
seek to identify T cells that strongly bind and kill tumor cells that express an undisclosed target antigen, and the T cell receptors will then be sequenced,
with their corresponding DNA placed into stem cells to create preclinical therapeutic candidates for further evaluation. The goal of this agreement is to
build a clinical program based on hematopoietic stem cells isolated from a patient, engineered in the lab and then returned to the patient to create
antigen-specific killer T cells capable of targeting and killing tumors. ImmunoCellular's Stem-to-T-cell platform technology can aid in overcoming the
short-lived T cell responses seen in existing forms of T cell and CAR-T therapies.
"The work on which Dr. Yee
and ImmunoCellular are collaborating is both exciting in what it represents for immuno-oncology, and potentially groundbreaking, as it has not previously
been accomplished on a large scale," Dr. Steven Swanson, senior vice president of research at ImmunoCellular, said in a press release. "The
identification of novel TCR sequences for application in stem cells has the potential to launch this program toward clinical testing. We are privileged to be
working with an immune-oncologist of Dr. Yee's stature, and believe that this work has the potential to position our Stem-to-T-cell program as one of the
most promising in the industry."
The Stem-to-T-cell program, which is based on technology in-licensed from
Caltech in 2014, is designed to harness the immune system for directed, highly antigen-specific tumor killing. It begins with hematopoietic stem cells that
are engineered in the lab, so that when they are reintroduced to the body, they divide into themselves and into daughter cells, which are antigen-specific
killer T cells. The identification and selection of a T cell receptor that can bind to tumor cells is important, as that receptor is what is transferred into
the hematopoietic stem cells and allow the stem cells to produce cytotoxic T cells. Given the 'immortality' of stem cells, the reengineered stem
cells could become a natural, perpetual source of cancer-targeting T cells.
"With our lead Phase 3 program
ICT-107 underway and financed, we are now focusing additional resources and attention on moving our Stem-to-T-cell program toward clinical development,"
commented Andrew Gengos, CEO of ImmunoCellular, in a statement. "Our collaboration with Dr. Yee and MD Anderson is an important step in our efforts to
build a leading cancer immunotherapy company, and we look forward to potentially establishing more collaborations and bringing additional promising
technologies into ImmunoCellular."
SOURCE: ImmunoCellular press release
Code: E11121501 Back |
Home |
FAQs |
Search |
Submit News Release |
Site Map |
About Us |
Advertising |
Resources |
Contact Us |
Terms & Conditions |
Privacy Policy
|