Cancer Immunotherapy — Drs. Xingxing Zang and Steven Almo have identified antibodies targeting B7x and determined B7x structure. B7x, a member of a family of proteins that regulate the immune system, is expressed mainly in cancerous cells and strongly inhibits T-cell activity. It is associated with bad clinical outcomes. The scientists developed a system to identify antibodies that could target B7x in living mice. These antibodies were able to decrease the number of human B7x-expressing tumors in mice and increase the survival rate of these mice, suggesting that immunotherapy using these antibodies may work against human cancers. The researchers published their findings in the November 6, 2014 issue of Cell Reports. Dr. Zang is associate professor of microbiology & immunology and of medicine and the Miriam Mandel Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research. Dr. Almo is professor of biochemistry, of physiology & biophysics and the Wollowick Family Foundation Chair.
Posted on: Tuesday, February 17, 2015