Cancer Immunogene Therapy

Certain specific antigens which behave as oncoproteins are present in normal fetal/neonatal developing brain. It was demonstrated that a convergence exists between ontogenesis and onco-genesis. The most malignant example of central nervous system neoplasia is glioblastoma multiforme. The biomarker – oncoprotein - characteristic of glial fetal and tumoral cells but not neuronal cells is IGF-I. For this reason for therapy purpose the arrest of IGF-I synthesis in cancer glial cells of glioblastoma was performed using in vitro anti – gene anti IGF-I strategy (IGF-I antisense /triple helix AS/TH). The created AS/TH cells became immunogenic and expressed MHC-I B71 antigens. The AS/TH cells while injected in glioblastoma patients induced the antitumor immune response and stopped the progression of tumor development. The survival of treated glioblastoma patients reached 2 years and in some cases up to 3-4 years. The established Anti - Gene IGF-I cancer immunotherapy was introduced in USA Europe China and Latin America.