Pamicell Publishes Paper on New Anticancer Immunotherapy Vaccine

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] Pharmicell has identified an efficient cultivation method for a new anticancer immunotherapy vaccine using dendritic cells.

Pharmicell announced on the 26th that a paper on an anticancer immunotherapy vaccine cultured with the WT1 antigen conjugated and zoledronate as an active ingredient was published in the SCI international journal 'International Journal of Molecular Sciences.'

Pharmicell developed ‘Cellgram-DC-WT1 (CDW),’ which conjugates the WT1 antigen, found in most solid tumors, to dendritic cells. Zoledronate was used for culturing this substance.

When dendritic cells were cultured using zoledronate, the proportion of CD141+ (gash) was 20% higher than with the conventional cultivation method. The proportion of CD86 (a co-stimulatory marker) was also higher. Since no impurities were generated during the manufacturing process, it is expected to produce high-quality dendritic cells. The time required for cultivation was also relatively reduced.

Immune responses through interaction with T cells were confirmed. Comparing general T cells and T cells induced to differentiate through CDW, the levels of IL-12 and IFN-γ, which play important roles in cellular immune activation, increased by up to more than twice in T cells conjugated with CDW.

A Pharmicell official said, "We have identified dendritic cell cultivation materials and methods that can maintain high quality," and added, "A domestic patent application is also underway." He continued, "We will apply this technology to clinical research" and "plan to utilize it in the development and manufacturing of dendritic cell therapeutics."

He also stated, "Using the WT1 antigen, a tumor antigen commonly expressed in solid tumors, is expected to be effective in treating most cancers," and added, "Since the indications will diversify, it is expected to establish itself as a competitive therapeutic agent."