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Identification of 2nd Moditope Cancer Vaccine
Identification of 2nd Moditope Cancer Vaccine.
About this update from Scancell Holdings Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \nRNS Number : 5965F Scancell Holdings Plc 30 October 2018 \n\n30 October 2018\n \nScancell Holdings Plc\n(\"Scancell\" or the \"Company\")\n \nIdentification of second Moditope® cancer vaccine target - homocitrullination \n \nBasis for development of Modi-2 for multiple solid tumours\n \nScancell Holdings plc, the developer of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, today announces an update on the development of its second vaccine from its proprietary Moditope platform, Modi-2. Pre-clinical data demonstrates that homocitrullinated peptides induce highly potent T cell responses, tumour rejection and increased survival in murine models.\n \nModitope represents a completely new class of potent and selective immunotherapy agents based on stress-induced post-translational modifications (siPTMs) which could have a profound effect on the way that cancer immunotherapies are developed. Scancell's lead Moditope vaccine, Modi-1, acts by stimulating the production of CD4 T cells using citrullinated tumour-associated peptide epitopes, which overcome self-tolerance and destroy tumour cells. Modi-2 exploits a new modification, stimulating the production of CD4 T cells using homocitrullinated tumour-associated peptide epitopes. Whereas citrullination involves the conversion of the amino acid arginine to citrulline, the process of homocitrullination involves the conversion of lysine to homocitrulline. Scancell believes this second mechanism of action has the potential to broaden the utilisation of the Moditope platform. \n \nModi-2 is currently in pre-clinical development and work is underway to characterise specific homocitrullinated peptides for clinical development that have the potential to address different cancer indications to Modi-1, including tumours with a particularly immunosuppressive environment. The Modi-2 peptide family is the subject of new intellectual property applications with a view to extend the Company's dominant patent position in relation to post-translational modifications of cellular proteins and their application in the treatment of cancer.\n \nProf Lindy Durrant, Chief Scientific Officer of Scancell, commented: \"We are pleased to be able to provide an update on the progress of our second Moditope vaccine, Modi-2. The data clearly demonstrates the potential of h...