Randomized, double-blind, multi-center, phase III clinical trial to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of MG1109 (egg-based pre-pandemic influenza A/H5N1 vaccine) in healthy adults.

Considering the pandemic potential of avian influenza A/H5N1, development of an effective and well-tolerated vaccine is an essential part of pandemic preparedness plans. This phase III, randomized, double-blind study was conducted to assess the immunogenicity and safety profile of an alum-adjuvanted, whole virion, pre-pandemic influenza A/H5N1 vaccine (MG1109). Healthy individuals were randomly assigned, in a 3:1 ratio, to receive two doses of either MG1109 or placebo containing alum gel.

Use of a Target-Mediated Drug Disposition Model to Predict the Human Pharmacokinetics and Target Occupancy of GC1118, an Anti-epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Antibody.

GC1118 is an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody that is currently under clinical development. In this study, the pharmacokinetics (PK) of GC1118 were modelled in monkeys to predict human PK and receptor occupancy (RO) profiles. The serum concentrations of GC1118 and its comparator (cetuximab) were assessed in monkeys with a non-compartmental analysis and a target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD) model after intravenous infusion (3-25 mg/kg) of these drugs.

Towards a transcriptome-based theranostic platform for unfavorable breast cancer phenotypes.

Inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) is one of the most lethal forms of human breast cancer, and effective treatment for IBC is an unmet clinical need in contemporary oncology. Tumor-targeted theranostic approaches are emerging in precision medicine, but only a few specific biomarkers are available. Here we report up-regulation of the 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) in two independent discovery and validation sets of specimens derived from IBC patients, suggesting translational promise for clinical applications.

Phase I Study of Random Healthy Donor-Derived Allogeneic Natural Killer Cell Therapy in Patients with Malignant Lymphoma or Advanced Solid Tumors.

Natural killer (NK) cells with mismatched killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor-ligand pairs have shown efficacy and been proven safe in treatment of cancer patients. Ex vivo-expanded and highly activated NK cells (MG4101) had been generated under good manufacturing practice conditions, which demonstrated potent anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo in preclinical studies. The current phase I clinical trial was designed to evaluate safety and possible clinical efficacy of repetitive administrations of MG4101 derived from random unrelated healthy donors into patients with malignant lymphoma or advanced, recurrent solid tumors.

GC1118, an Anti-EGFR Antibody with a Distinct Binding Epitope and Superior Inhibitory Activity against High-Affinity EGFR Ligands.

The EGFR-targeted monoclonal antibodies are a valid therapeutic strategy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, only a small subset of mCRC patients has therapeutic benefits and there are high demands for EGFR therapeutics with a broader patient pool and more potent efficacy. In this study, we report GC1118 exhibiting a different character in terms of binding epitope, affinity, mode of action, and efficacy from other anti-EGFR antibodies.

Decreased performance in IDUA knockout mouse mimic limitations of joint function and locomotion in patients with Hurler syndrome.

Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is caused by the deficiency of alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA), which is involved in the degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), such as heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate in the lysosome. It has been reported that joint symptoms are almost universal in MPS I patients, and even in the case of attenuated disease, they are the first symptom that brings a child to medical attention. However, functional tests and biological markers have not been published for the evaluation of the limitations in joint and locomotion in animal model-mimicking MPS.

Present and Future of Allogeneic Natural Killer Cell Therapy.

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that are capable of eliminating tumor cells and are therefore used for cancer therapy. Although many early investigators used autologous NK cells, including lymphokine-activated killer cells, the clinical efficacies were not satisfactory. Meanwhile, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation revealed the antitumor effect of allogeneic NK cells, and HLA-haploidentical, killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor ligand-mismatched allogeneic NK cells are currently used for many protocols requiring NK cells.

Enhancing T Cell Immune Responses by B Cell-based Therapeutic Vaccine Against Chronic Virus Infection.

Chronic virus infection leads to the functional impairment of dendritic cells (DCs) as well as T cells, limiting the clinical usefulness of DC-based therapeutic vaccine against chronic virus infection. Meanwhile, B cells have been known to maintain the ability to differentiate plasma cells producing antibodies even during chronic virus infection. Previously, α-galactosylceramide (αGC) and cognate peptide-loaded B cells were comparable to DCs in priming peptide-specific CD8(+) T cells as antigen presenting cells (APCs).

Extended operation of a pressurized 75-L bioreactor for shLkn-1 production by Pichia pastoris using dissolved oxygen profile control.

In this study, a dissolved oxygen (DO)-stat fed-batch process was conducted in a pressurized 75-L bioreactor, resulting in the production of the short version of human leukotactin-1 (shLkn-1) using Pichia pastoris as the host, with control of the DO-stat profile and an extension of the recombinant shLkn-1 production phase. By regulation of the exhaust-gas valve, we were able to maintain the vessel pressure at up to 120 kPa, in order to overcome DO limitations associated with the use of the DO-stat. The lowest DO value was adjusted by varying the feed pump speed, allowing us to control the DO-stat profile.

Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL are important for the induction of paclitaxel resistance in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

In this study we have investigated the mechanism underlying resistance to the chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel in tumors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Treatment with paclitaxel led to potent inhibition of growth of Hep3B hepatoma cells, but did not affect the growth properties of SNU-368 and SNU-398 cell lines that were established from primary HCC tumors. The growth inhibitory effect induced by paclitaxel correlated with levels of intracellular p21 and resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase.

Dissolved-oxygen-stat controlling two variables for methanol induction of rGuamerin in Pichia pastoris and its application to repeated fed-batch.

A DO-stat control strategy for two variables was introduced to the rGuamerin production process in Pichia pastoris and applied to repeated fed-batch culture. Two interrelated variables, namely the ratio of partial pressure of pure O2 in the inlet air-stream and the methanol feed rate, were controlled simultaneously. By using this control strategy, methanol feeding for induction could be controlled automatically while efficiently controlling the dissolved oxygen level.