Autologous patient specific tumor antigen response

Autologous Patient Specific Tumor Antigen Response technology, or apSTAR, is a new cancer treatment procedure being developed by IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC and Veterinary Cancer Therapeutics, LLC for comparative oncology.

Also known as laser-assisted immunotherapy, apSTAR is an experimental cancer treatment for solid tumors that utilizes an autologous vaccine-like approach to stimulate immune responses. Specifically, laser-assisted immunotherapy combines laser-induced in situ tumor devitalization with an immunoadjuvant for local immunostimulation.

Experimental data and initial human trials suggests that laser-assisted immunotherapy treatment may prolong life and even cure patients with advanced cancer.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Principles of apSTAR

The two principles underlying apSTAR are: (1) local destruction of tumor by means of a laser combined with a photo-absorbing dye; and (2) stimulated immune response due to the application of an immunoadjuvant, but also due to increases in antigen accessibility caused by the destruction of the tumor. Both elements of this protocol are crucial. It is important to note that since this method independently triggers the immune response in each individual, it does not depend upon cross reactivity in the expression of tumor-specific antigen between hosts (as is required in conventional antibody immunotherapy and vaccination.)

Trials

Veterinary Cancer Therapeutics, LLC a subsidiary of IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC is in exploratory trials for canine osteosarcoma, canine melanoma, canine and feline fibrosarcoma, and several other forms of cancer.[8][9].

References

  1. ^ Song S, Zhou F, Nordquist RE, Carubelli R, Liu H, Chen WR. Glycated chitosan as a new non-toxic immunological stimulant. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2009;31(2):202-8.
  2. ^ Chen WR, Huang Z, Korbelik M, Nordquist RE, Liu H. Photoimmunotherapy for cancer treatment. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2006;25(1-2):281-91.
  3. ^ Chen WR, Korbelik M, Bartels KE, Liu H, Sun J, Nordquist RE. Enhancement of laser cancer treatment by a chitosan-derived immunoadjuvant. Photochem Photobiol. 2005 Jan-Feb;81(1):190-5.
  4. ^ Chen WR, Carubelli R, Liu H, Nordquist RE. Laser immunotherapy: a novel treatment modality for metastatic tumors. Mol Biotechnol. 2003 Sep;25(1):37-44.
  5. ^ Chen WR, Liu H, Ritchey JW, Bartels KE, Lucroy MD, Nordquist RE. Effect of different components of laser immunotherapy in treatment of metastatic tumors in rats. Cancer Res. 2002 Aug 1;62(15):4295-9.
  6. ^ Chen WR, Zhu WG, Dynlacht JR, Liu H, Nordquist RE. Long-term tumor resistance induced by laser photo-immunotherapy. Int J Cancer. 1999 May 31;81(5):808-12.
  7. ^ Chen WR, Adams RL, Carubelli R, Nordquist RE. Laser-photosensitizer assisted immunotherapy: a novel modality for cancer treatment. Cancer Lett. 1997 May 1;115(1):25-30.
  8. ^ http://www.vetcancer.com
  9. ^ http://www.IMULAN.com