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Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and most malignant form of human brain cancer. Current treatments can include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, radiation therapy and/or surgery. However some recent discoveries concerning the immunology of glioblastoma have stimulated the development of novel immunotherapy based drugs. In fact patterns of gene expression in glioblastoma have been much studied in efforts to identify novel targets for such therapies. As a result a number of proteins (GAAs, glioma-associated antigens) have been described, including, recently, some cancer testis antigens (C/T Antigens) [1].
Whilst these antigens may provide effective targets for immunotherapy in glioblastoma [2,3], these discoveries offer another important opportunity: patient immunity to these antigens may itself be predictive of clinical outcome to novel therapies. Indeed, it has been reported that autoantibodies to some tumor antigens are associated with improved prognosis [4].
“The observations presented in this study support CT Antigen based immunotherapy of malignant gliomas and indicate CT Antigen genes, which are strongly expressed in CSCs [from glioblastoma tissues], as a target for vaccine therapy.”
Yawata et al, (2010), Enhanced Expression of Cancer Testis Antigen Genes in Glioma Stem Cells [2]
Serametrix has developed a novel assay that measures patient immunity to a proprietary panel of glioblastoma antigens. This assay is now available to the pharmaceutical industry on a fee-for-service basis to enable improved drug discovery and development for this disease. Applications for the assay include predicting and monitoring clinical responses to novel therapies, including, but not limited to, immunotherapies. Patterns of serum antibodies in baseline samples can correlate to post-treatment clinical outcomes, paving the way for opportunities in patient selection and companion diagnostics, an increasingly important aspect of current drug development. In addition there is value for translational researchers since this biomarker approach provides a unique insight into a drug’s impact on patient immunity to these important antigens. For example drugs that induce a broad-based immune response in the days and weeks following administration are more likely to meet the clinical end-points required for development and regulatory approval.
In summary the measurement of serum antibodies to tumor antigens is an increasingly important part of immunotherapy and other drug development. Serametrix offers serum profiling to an exciting new panel of glioblastoma antigens to help drug developers predict and monitor clinical outcomes to novel therapies.
References:
[1] Natsume et al, (2010). Epigenetic aberrations and therapeutic implications in gliomas, Cancer Sci, vol. 101, no. 6, 1331–1336
[2] Yawata et al, (2010). Enhanced Expression of Cancer Testis Antigen Genes in Glioma Stem Cells. Mol Carcinogenesis, 49:532–544
[3] Kanaly et al, (2010). Clinical Applications of a Peptide-Based Vaccine for Glioblastoma. Neurosurg Clin N Am 21 (2010) 95–109
[4] Pallasch et al. (2005). Autoantibodies against GLEA2 and PHF3 in glioblastoma: tumor-associated autoantibodies correlated with prolonged survival. Int J Cancer 2005;117: 456-9
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