Cancer Immunotherapy

Browse Indian Patents from 2005 by Weekly Journals

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Cancer immunotherapy refers to the methods which involves in the immune cells to cure cancerous cells. Some of the methods that are patented in USPTO are given below.

In Patent no: 6,310,045 titled ‘Compositions and methods for cancer immunotherapy’ with the abstract : The present invention provides methods for inhibiting the growth of selected tumors utilizing recombinant viral vectors. Briefly, within one aspect of the present invention, a method for inhibiting the growth of a selected tumor is provided comprising the step of directly administering to a warm-blooded animal a vector construct which directs the expression of at least one anti-tumor agent, such that the growth of said tumor is inhibited. Representative examples of anti-tumor agents include immune activators and tumor proliferation inhibitors.

Patent no: 6,207,147 titled ‘Cancer immunotherapy using tumor cells combined with mixed lymphocytes’ with the abstract : This invention comprises cellular vaccines and methods of using them in cancer immunotherapy, particularly in humans. The vaccines comprise stimulated lymphocytes allogeneic to the subject being treated, along with a source of tumor-associated antigen. The allogeneic lymphocytes can be stimulated by combining or coculturing them with leukocytes obtained from the subject to be treated or from another third-party donor. Tumor antigen may be provided in the form of primary tumor cells, tumor cell lines or tumor extracts prepared from the subject. Stimulated allogeneic lymphocytes and tumor antigen are combined and administered at a site distant from the primary tumor, in order to prime or boost a systemic cellular anti-tumor immune response. This approach overcomes the natural refractory nature of the immune system to stimulation by tumor antigens, generating a host response and potentially improving the clinical outcome.

Patent no: 6,277,368 titled ‘Cancer immunotherapy using autologous tumor cells combined’ with cells expressing a membrane cytokine with the abstract: This invention comprises cellular vaccines and methods of using them in cancer immunotherapy, particularly in humans. The vaccines comprise a source of tumor-associated antigen, and a cytokine-secreting cell line. Tumor antigen may be provided in the form of primary tumor cells, tumor cell lines or tumor extracts prepared from the subject. In certain embodiments of the invention, the cytokine-secreting line is a separate tumor line that is allogeneic to the patient and genetically altered so as to produce a cytokine at an elevated level. Exemplary cytokines are IL-4, GM-CSF, IL-2, TNF-.alpha., and M-CSF in the secreted or membrane-bound form. In these embodiments, the cytokine-producing cells provide immunostimulation in trans to generate a specific immune response against the tumor antigen. Vaccines may be tailored for each type of cancer or for each subject by mixing tumor antigen with a favorable number of cytokine-producing cells, or with a cocktail of such cells producing a plurality of cytokines at a favorable ratio.

Patent no: 6,855,802 titled ‘Mutated peptide compounds, derived from hsp70, useful in cancer immunotherapy’ with the abstract : The invention concerns a method for identifying peptide compounds derived from hsp70, having at least one mutation relative to the hsp70 natural sequence, said compounds bringing about a response T specific of tumours, and the peptide compounds obtainable by said method. The invention also concerns the use of said peptide compounds for performing repeated immunization in a subject so as to interrupt immune tolerance for the corresponding natural (non-mutated) peptide. Said peptide compounds are useful for preparing a medicine designed in particular for treating cancer optionally in combination with any agent provoking tumour cell stress.