The combined therapeutic potential of an immunocytokine designed to deliver IL-12 to the necrotic regions of solid tumors with an anti-PD-L1 antibody that disrupts the immunosuppressive PD-1/PD-L1 axis yielded a combinatorial benefit in multiple murine tumor models. The murine version of the immunocytokine, NHS-muIL12, consists of an antibody (NHS76) recognizing DNA/DNA-histone complexes, fused...

Electroporation improves the anti-tumour efficacy of chemotherapeutic and gene therapies. Combining electroporation-mediated chemotherapeutics with interleukin 12 (IL-12) plasmid DNA produces a strong yet safe anti-tumour effect for treating primary and refractory tumours. A previously published report demonstrated the efficacy of a single cycle of IL-12 plasmid DNA and bleomycin in canines, an...

We analyzed cytokine responses against latent and lytic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigens in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and healthy controls (HCs) to obtain an overview of the distinctive immune regulatory response in SLE patients and to expand the previously determined impaired EBV-directed T-cell response. The concentrations of 14 cytokines (IL2, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL10, IL12, IL...

Interleukin (IL) 12 and IL23 are two related heterodimeric cytokines produced by antigen-presenting cells. The balance between these two cytokines plays a crucial role in the control of Th1/Th17 responses and autoimmune inflammation. Most studies focused on their transcriptional regulation. Herein, we explored the role of the adenine and uridine-rich element (ARE)-binding protein tristetraproli...

The T cell response to Shigella, the causative agent of bacillary dysentery, remains poorly understood. Using a murine model of infection, we report that Shigella flexneri primes predominately IL-17A- and IL-22-producing Th17 cells. Shigella-specific Th1 cells are only significantly induced on secondary infection, whereas specific Th2 and CD8(+) T cells are undetectable. Apart from Th17 cells t...

BACKGROUND Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may originate via abnormal immune responses to infectious agents. It is unknown whether prenatal immune development may differ in children who develop the disease. The current study examines the association between neonatal cytokine profiles, a proxy measure for a child's prenatal immune development, and childhood ALL. METHODS Neonatal b...

Tumour necrosis factor á (TNFá), a key cytokine involved in the host immune response, also contributes to the pathogenesis of both infectious and autoimmune diseases. To ameliorate the pathology resulting from TNFá in these clinical settings, strategies for the inhibition of this cytokine have been developed. Our previous work has shown that the drug thalidomide is a partial inhibitor of TNFá p...

How many employees do you have, and how do you find/attract them? The company has about four full-time employees. Most of the employees were recruited by the cEo or cSo. What are the main focus and platform technology(ies) of your company? IMUc has been able to integrate several approaches to treating cancer into its platform technology. The company develops multi-targeted cancer immunotherapie...