ImmunoCellular Therapeutics has obtained US patent for methods of use of interleukin 13-receptor alpha 2 protein (IL-13Rα2) in cancer immunotherapy.
IL-13 is an immune regulatory cytokine and IL-13Ra2 is highly and specifically expressed in glioblastoma, ovarian and other solid tumors, but not in normal tissue.
ICT-107 is the company's lead product candidate targeting IL-13Ra2.
The ICT-107dendritic cell vaccine is directed against glioblastoma antigens and cancer stem cells, and ICT-140 dendritic cell vaccine to treat ovarian cancer.
ImmunoCellular chief executive officer Andrew Gengos said, "IL-13Ra2 is a tumor-associated antigen present in the majority of brain cancers, and we believe that using an immunotherapeutic vaccine that targets this and other specific antigens as well as cancer stem cells to stimulate an immune response represents a promising anticancer approach."
The Penn State Research Foundation, the technology transfer agent for The Pennsylvania State University, received the IL-13Ra2 patent.
The patent is licensed to Targepeutics, ImmunoCellular is a sub-licensee of the patent.
