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Covance Blog
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells, In Vitro and In Vivo Preclinical Models, plus regulatory and safety considerations In a recent webinar, we presented on and discussed the adoptive cell therapy preclinical program central to an IND/IMPD submission. The following is a brief summary, plus insightful Q&As from that event.
Productive immunotherapy driven anti-tumor responses rely on the activation of T cells that target tumor-associated antigens (TAA). The dendritic cell (DC) plays an essential role in the activation of T cell antigen-specific responses, which occur naturally in the context of infection. However, this same process supports tumor-immune surveillance as well …
Zirconium-89 (89Zr) has revolutionized discovery and translation of Ab (and Ab fragment) therapeutics via PET biodistribution imaging. With standard, straightforward labeling chemistry, 89Zr provides unprecedented specificity and sensitivity of PET Ab detection (to pM levels). At Covance we use 89Zr PET as a platform assay for in vivo quantification of:
Medical imaging is a powerful tool that allows for in vivo and ex vivo quantification of various endpoints which can aid in oncology research and drug discovery. With a myriad of imaging options, how do you know which method is the most appropriate for your needs? The purpose of this blog is to bring …
Breast cancers are considered poorly immunogenic tumors, however, several approaches utilizing immunotherapies are being undertaken in the clinic to evaluate their potential for improving outcomes. Radiation therapy (RT) is a highly utilized clinical treatment modality in breast cancer. Radiation is known to modify the tumor microenvironment, induce cytokines and chemokines, …
The clinical approval of biological therapeutics inhibiting CTLA-4 (ipilimumab), PD-1 (nivolumab, pembrolizumab) and PD-L1 (atezolizumab, avelumab, durvalumab) has ushered in a revolution in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Thus far, the approvals have occurred in a small number of cancer histotypes including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer and urothelial cancers, …
The efficacy of immune-modulating anti-cancer therapeutic antibodies that have been FDA-approved in recent years, such as anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1, has driven growing interest in methods that provide a mechanistic understanding of drug function. Development of new mono and combination therapies with immune-modulatory effects requires more powerful immunophenotyping techniques capable of …
We are all familiar with cellular metabolism and how the production of ATP (cell energy) is critical for cell development, proliferation, and survival. Understanding the impact of immuno-metabolism and how this area can enhance the ever-evolving immuno-oncology research is a new and exciting field. Since the cells of the immune …
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly relying on biomarkers to deliver precision medicine in immuno-oncology. Biomarkers can accelerate drug development and reduce the overall cost; they also allow sponsors to identify failed treatments sooner so that resources are not wasted on expensive, late-stage trials with unsafe or inactive compounds. Finally, these tests …
In our June 2017 blog post, we described advantages and challenges of using syngeneic, GEM, and humanized mouse models for preclinical immuno-oncology (I/O) drug development. In this blog, we expand on this idea and offer thoughts on choosing the most appropriate I/O tumor model for one’s study. While there are benefits …