Phase I clinical trial of ICT-107

Immune response correlation with progression-free survival in glioblastoma following dendritic cell immunotherapy (ICT-107) by Surasak Phuphanich and 9 co-authors, including Manish Singh, Keith Black and John Wu, J Clin Oncol 28:7s, 2010 (suppl; abstr 2097). To be presented at the 2010 ASCO Annual Meeting, June 06, 2010.

Related news releases:

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd. (IMUC) to Present Cancer Vaccine Candidate, International Business Times, June 02, 2010. Excerpt:

Data from the company’s recent clinical trial of ICT-107, the company’s dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine candidate, will be presented at the 46th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) June 4-8 in Chicago.

See also: Immunocellular brain cancer vaccine shows promise, Reuters, June 02, 2010. Excerpt:

"We are targeting specific antigens that are on cancer stem cells ... the only population of cells that can really propagate a tumor," said Dr. John Yu, director of surgical neuro-oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and ImmunoCellular's chief scientific officer.

Another related news release: Immunocellular Therapeutics Enters into Research Agreement with University of Pennsylvania to Support Phase II Clinical Trial of ICT-107, Business Wire, April 21, 2010.

An evolving concept of CSCs in tumor biology

An evolving concept of cancer stem cells in tumor biology: a lecture (34:38 min) by Jeremy N Rich. Webcast of the initial presentation at an Educational Session on Cancer Stem Cells and Treatment Resistance, AACR 101st Annual Meeting, April 17, 2010. [FriendFeed entry].

Comment: Dr. Rich's research has a primary emphasis on Glioma Cancer Stem Cell and Brain Tumors. An example of a recent publication: Integrin Alpha 6 Regulates Glioblastoma Stem Cells by Justin D Lathia and 10 co-authors, including Jeremy N Rich, Cell Stem Cell 2010(May 7); 6(5): 421-32. [PubMed citation][FriendFeed entry].

CSC suppress immune response against brain tumor

Cancer stem cells suppress immune response against brain tumor, News Release, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, January 15, 2010.

About two publications, one in Clin Cancer Res 2010(Jan 15);16(2):461-73 and the other in Mol Cancer Ther 2010(Jan);9(1):67-78.

See also: Cancer stem cells suppress immune response against brain tumor, Science Blog, January 15, 2010, and, Mechanism that helps brain cancer evade immune system attack discovered, Science News, January 16, 2010.

A neurosurgeon's guide to CSC

A neurosurgeon's guide to stem cells, cancer stem cells, and brain tumor stem cells by Samuel H Cheshier and 5 co-authors, including Irving L Weissman, Neurosurgery 2009(Aug); 65(2): 237-49. PubMed Abstract:

Stem cells and their potential applications have become the forefront of scientific, political, and ethical discourse. Whereas stem cells were long accepted as units of development and evolution, it is now becoming increasingly clear that they are also units of oncogenesis. Although the field of stem cell biology is expanding at an astounding rate, the data attained are not readily translatable for the physicians who may eventually deliver these tools to patients. Herein, we provide a brief review of stem cell and cancer stem cell biology and highlight the scientific and clinical implications of recent findings regarding the presence of cancer-forming stem cells in brain tumors.

Comparing SC from the adult human brain and from brain tumors

A comparison between stem cells from the adult human brain and from brain tumors by Mercy Varghese and 8 co-authors, including Iver A Langmoen, Neurosurgery 2008(Dec); 63(6): 1022-34 [PubMed Citation].

Evaluation: Tali Siegal: Faculty of 1000 Medicine, 6 Jan 2009. Excerpt:

This study provides further evidence in support of the theory of human brain tumors deriving from apparent stem cell populations, rather than from transformation and differentiation of glial cells. The implication is that glioma stem cells should become the targets of future therapies, and, to that end, understanding the differences between normal and abnormally derived cells is important.