NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New data reported today at the Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference, jointly sponsored by the Cancer Research Institute, the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy, the European Academy of Tumor Immunology, and the American Association for Cancer Research, demonstrate that Biothera’s investigational cancer immunotherapy drug Imprime PGG enhances antigen presentation and effectively creates the critical cross-talk between the innate and adaptive immune systems necessary to enable T cell expansion and even immunologic memory.
“This and other Biothera research presented at the conference provide compelling evidence that Imprime PGG treatment can trigger a more complete and more coordinated anti-tumor immune response resulting from activation of both innate and adaptive immune systems”
Imprime PGG, a yeast-derived 1,3-1,6 ß glucan, works as a pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP). PAMPs are the natural “non-self” signals recognized by innate immune effector cells (macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells, neutrophils) that trigger a coordinated immune response enabling not only activation of the innate immune system but also the critical cross-talk with the adaptive immune system (T and B cells).
The adaptive immune cells, T cells in particular, are responsible for mounting a very specific immune response and retaining immunologic memory. For this reason, much focus and attention has been centered on harnessing the potential of T cells to recognize and eradicate cancers and to establish immunologic memory for long-term disease control. However, T cells cannot alone effectively and efficiently recognize tumor antigens. Rather, T cell involvement requires professional antigen presenting cells (e.g., dendritic cells, macrophages) to present antigen in the appropriate molecular context.
“The research presented today now shows that Imprime PGG, acting as a PAMP, effectively and efficiently drives the maturation and activation of professional antigen presenting cells. As a consequence, these antigen-presenting cells engage T cells, driving the specific expansion of CD8 T cells as well as the production of critical anti-tumor cytokines,” said Dr. Jeremy Graff, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Biothera Pharmaceutical Research.
The study found that Imprime PGG treatment stimulated dendritic cell maturation and efficient presentation of a model antigen to T cells, eliciting effective T cell expansion and cytokine production both in vitro and, after intravenous dosing, in vivo. The study also demonstrated that Imprime PGG had a broad effect on the total dendritic cell population, binding to numerous dendritic cell subsets.
“This and other Biothera research presented at the conference provide compelling evidence that Imprime PGG treatment can trigger a more complete and more coordinated anti-tumor immune response resulting from activation of both innate and adaptive immune systems,” said Dr. Graff.
The poster (Poster # B019), entitled “Imprime PGG, a soluble ß glucan, binds to and activates dendritic cells resulting in enhanced T cell priming, expansion and cytokine production,” is one of two scientific posters on Imprime PGG that Biothera is presenting today from 4:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. in the Empire Ballroom of the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. View the poster at http://ow.ly/ShSwM. Three additional Biothera posters were presented Wednesday.
About International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT), the European Academy of Tumor Immunology (EATI), and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) have joined forces to sponsor the first International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference. Entitled “Translating Science into Survival,” it will cover all areas of inquiry in cancer immunology and immunotherapy, including: immune regulation of T cell responsiveness, genomic methods for identifying tumor antigens, the tumor microenvironment, T cell therapies, checkpoint blockade, biomarkers, combinations, and the microbiome.
About Biothera Pharmaceutical Inc.
Biothera is a privately held biotechnology company developing Imprime PGG, a late clinical stage immunotherapeutic drug candidate that modulates key immune cells to recognize and kill cancer. Proof of concept has been established from single-arm and randomized Phase 2 studies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colorectal cancer, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Studies are ongoing in metastatic colorectal cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In addition, new research shows that Imprime PGG elicits a coordinated immune response that involves both innate and adaptive immunity. Visit www.biothera.com/pharmaceutical/ or follow us on Twitter.
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