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Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Is focused primarily on the development
of next generation therapeutic vaccines and other immunotherapeutic approaches
for the treatment of cancer. Founded in July 2004 by Baylor College of Medicine
Professors Kevin M. Slawin, M.D. and David M. Spencer, Ph.D., the Company plans
to produce clinical products based on novel and powerful vaccine strategies
developed by renowned Baylor College of Medicine researchers that have the
potential to enhance the efficacy of therapeutic vaccines against important
diseases.
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Utilizing core technologies designed to enhance the survival and potency of
dendritic cells, a critical component that controls activation and targeting of
the immune system, Bellicum plans to initiate two Phase I/II clinical trials
for patients with advanced, androgen independent prostate cancer to establish
the safety and potentially the efficacy of these strategies. Key success
milestones already achieved by Bellicum towards this goal include preclinical
testing in mouse models and human dendritic cells of our core vaccine
technology platforms, execution of exclusive licenses for certain key
technologies, and key regulatory approvals for our first Phase I/II protocol.
Longer term strategies include broadening the scope of these therapies to
include the treatment of other common cancers, including breast, colon, and
lung, as well as other infectious diseases, e.g. HIV/AIDS.
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The human immune system has virtually unlimited potential to work throughout
the body to attack and destroy cancer cells and other pathogens. However, under
normal circumstances the immune system is tightly regulated by a number of
mechanisms that dampen this power in an attempt to limit the risk of
auto-immunity (attacking one's own organs and tissues). Bellicum's technologies
are designed to circumvent these normally inhibitory pathways by:
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extending the lifespan of antigen-loaded dendritic cells several-fold, thus
extending the time available to interact with T cells in the lymph node
environment
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increasing the activation status of these dendritic cells by increasing
expression of co-stimulatory molecules and production of IL-12
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enhancing the migration of dendritic cells administered as a vaccine to
draining lymph nodes and
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blocking mechanisms that inhibit the activation of antigen specific cytotoxic T
cells
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Simply stated, if one considers the immune
system like a "car", these dampening mechanisms
can be thought of as preventing maximum pressure
on the "accelerator pedal", while at the same
time applying pressure on the "brake pedal",
thus preventing the "car" from exceeding the
speed limit. Bellicum researchers have
identified individual mechanisms that affect
both the "accelerator" and "brake" pedals, and
have devised unique technological methods of
controlling these processes to allow maximum
"speed". |
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