LOS ANGELES, Nov. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ImaginAb Inc. today announced results from a preclinical trial of IAB22M2C, the company's proprietary CD8 T-cell imaging agent, demonstrating detection of CD8 T-cell distribution as a measure of immune response. Research shows that the presence of cytotoxic CD8 T-cells are correlated with response to cancer immunotherapy. ImaginAb will present the data at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2015 Annual Meeting on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 12:45 p.m. EST.
"Among the major hurdles to advancing the new wave of cancer immunotherapies is the need to identify which patients will respond to single immunotherapies or need more tailored combination regimens, and then determine early during treatment, whether the therapy is working," said Roger Crystal, M.D., chief business officer for ImaginAb. "Immuno-imaging of tumor-infiltrating CD8 T-cells with radiolabeled antibody fragments could provide a specific and sensitive modality to achieve this goal."
ImaginAb's IAB22MC2 is a re-engineered antibody fragment called a minibody, used as a precision imaging product that could enable a physician to see and visualize a patient's immune system. The minibodies are linked to Zirconium-89, illuminating CD8 T-cells to provide a whole-body picture of immune response.
"As immuno-oncology research advances, it's becoming clear that CD8 T-cell imaging has significant potential in aiding the selection and monitoring of patients receiving immunotherapies," added Dr. Crystal.
In the study, NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice engrafted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or human CD34+ stem cells, a reproducible model of xenogeneic Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD), received IAB22M2C intravenously prior to a whole-body PET scan. Results showed IAB22M2C could detect human CD8 T-cells in the spleens of mice one week post engraftment. As GVHD progressed over four to five weeks, expansion and trafficking of the engrafted T-cells to extra-lymphoid tissues including lungs could be followed. In addition, IAB22M2C was well tolerated, as human T-cells were not depleted or activated. The half-life of IAB22M2C was approximately 2.7 hours, indicating potential for same-day imaging in humans.
The abstract is available on the SITC 2015 website: www.sitcancer.org/2015/abstracts
About ImaginAb
ImaginAb Inc. is an immune imaging company focused on providing actionable insight into patient selection and treatment progress for cancer immunotherapy, enabling truly personalized medicine. ImaginAb engineers antibody fragments called minibodies that maintain the exquisite specificity of full-length antibodies while remaining inert in the body. Used with widely available PET scan technology, these novel minibodies illuminate high-value molecular targets, providing physicians with a whole-body picture of immune activity. ImaginAb is also advancing a best-in-class imaging agent to improve prostate cancer management and patient outcomes. ImaginAb's products have the potential to improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. For more information about ImaginAb's pipeline and technology, visit www.imaginab.com.
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SOURCE ImaginAb Inc.