Medigene expands TCR platform technology with US patent for method for identification of CD4+ T cell antigens - Seite 2

About CD4+ T cells in tumor biology: Recent advances in cellular immunotherapy show that cancer cells can be efficiently eliminated by adoptive transfer of modified patient T cells. The main effector functions can be provided by genetically engineered lymphocytes expressing T-cell receptors isolated from tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes, which recognize tumor-associated antigens presented on HLA class I molecules. Nevertheless, CD4+ T lymphocytes play a critical role for efficient and sustained cytotoxic CD8+ T cell responses and memory function. Multifunctional CD4+ T cells are essential to activate, control and maintain immune responses. CD4+ T cells recognize antigens presented on HLA class II molecules; thereby HLA class II tumor antigen-positive cells may be efficiently eliminated also by direct CD4+ cytotoxic mechanisms. It was demonstrated that adoptive transfer of tumor antigen-specific CD4+ T cells alone can lead to substantial regression of epithelial tumors (Science. 2014 May 9;344(6184):641-5).

About Medigene's TCR technology:
The TCR technology aims at arming the patient's own T cells with tumor-specific T-cell receptors. The receptor-modified T cells are then able to detect and efficiently kill tumor cells. This immunotherapy approach attempts to overcome the patient's tolerance towards cancer cells and tumor-induced immunosuppression by activating and modifying the patient's T cells outside the body (ex-vivo). A large number of specific T cells to fight the tumor is thereby made available to patients within a short period of time.

Medigene's technology for T-cell receptor-modified T cells is one of the company's highly innovative and complementary immunotherapy platforms for adoptive T-cell therapy. The TCR therapy is designed to treat patients with high tumor loads. Medigene is preparing the clinical development of its first TCR candidates and is developing a library of recombinant T-cell receptors. Moreover, a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant process for their combination with patient-derived T cells is currently being established. Medigene plans to commence its first own clinical TCR trials in 2017 and a second in 2018.