Immunicum AB
Immunicum reports promising preclinical results for its CD70 technology in adoptive immunotherapy

Immunicum AB 

06.03.2014 08:40

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Gothenburg, Sweden, 2014-03-06 08:40 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Promising data for Immunicum's CD70-technology for
adoptive immunotherapy are today being published in a scientific journal. The
results indicate a robust method to expand tumor-specific T-cells with improved
quality in comparison with established expansion protocols. 

In a publication entitled 'Allogeneic lymphocyte-licensed DCs expand T-cells
with improved anti-tumor activity and resistance to oxidative stress and immunosuppressive factors', published today in the
American Journal Molecular Therapy- Methods & Clinical Development  (published
by Nature Publishing Group in collaboration with the American Society of Gene &
Cell Therapy), Professor Essand's research group at the Rudbeck Laboratory in
Uppsala compared Immunicum's patent-pending expansion protocol called CD70-CD3
with established expansion protocols. 

The article shows that T-cells expanded by Immunicum's protocols, compared to
established protocols, have better viability, better ability to kill tumor
cells in the test tube, as well as superior proliferative response during tumor
cell killing when the cells are subjected to immunosuppressive factors that
reflect the 'hostile' tumor environment. 

Adoptive immunotherapy with tumor specific T-cells is a treatment strategy in
which the patient's T-cells are isolated and in some cases, genetically
engineered to specifically recognize cancer cells. In order to have a
sufficient number of tumor specific T-cells this also requires an expansion
period in the test tube before the cells are injected back into the patient.
There are currently two established expansion methods, 'rapid expansion
protocol' and ' bead expansion protocol'. 

- T-cells expanded with these methods and then used in clinical studies usually
show a high sensitivity to immunosuppressive factors present in the tumor,
resulting in that the injected T-cells lose their tumor killing ability and
quickly die out. Our preclinical studies now show that T-cells that have been
expanded with Immunicum's CD70-technology for adoptive immunotherapy has
greater potential to effectively eliminate cancer cells compared with the two
established expansion protocols used today. It is further highly interesting
that T-cells expanded with our protocol express much lower levels of the
immunosuppressing PD-1 receptor which act as an immunological brake when the
cells come into a hostile tumor environment, says Immunicum's Chief Scientific
Officer Alex Karlsson-Parra. 

Immunicum's immunotherapy plattforms are based on over 30 years of research in
the field of transplantation immunology. The Company's shares have been traded
since April 22, 2013 on NASDAQ OMX First North under the ticker IMMU. 



For further information please contact:

Jamal El-Mosleh, CEO of Immunicum, +4631 41 50 52,
jamal.el-mosleh@immunicum.com

Redeye AB is chosen as the Company's Certified Adviser.

Tel: +468-545 013 31. www.redeye.se.



About Immunicum AB (publ):

Immunicum AB (publ) develops cancer immunotherapies. Its two main groups of
therapeutic cancer vaccines, SUBCUVAX(R) and INTUVAX(R), and the method of
expansion of tumor-specific T-cells (CD70) is based on the Nobel prize awarded
discovery of the dendritic cell and its central role in the activation of the
specific immune response. Since the raw material consists of allogeneic
dendritic cells, Immunicum's products can be produced in large scale. The
vaccines are now undergoing clinical trials in renal cell carcinoma and
hepatocellular carcinoma. 

www.immunicum.com
News Source: NASDAQ OMX



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Language:     English
Company:      Immunicum AB
              
               
              Sweden
Phone:        
Fax:          
E-mail:       
Internet:     
ISIN:         SE0005003654
WKN:          
 
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