The company's cancer stem cell vaccine technology also could be applicable for multiple other cancers.

President and chief executive officer of IMUC, Manish Singh, Ph.D., stated that they are pleased "to see a growing interest in the area of cancer stem cell technologies, an example of which is an article in the April 2008 issue of Nature Biotechnology that named ICT-111 as one of eight products under development targeting cancer stem cells for various types of cancer."

About ICT-111

ICT-111 is IMUC's cancer stem cell vaccine which consists of immune system cells responsible for presenting antigens (immune system targets) to the immune system. These cells, also known as dendritic cells, are obtained from the patient's blood and "programmed" with a specific cancer stem cell protein which in turn provides a target for the immune system.

The immune system should then be armed to potentially seek and destroy the remaining cancer stem cells.

ICT-111 may have applicability to multiple types of cancer, but IMUC will initially evaluate it in a Phase I clinical study for glioblastoma which, subject to FDA clearance, IMUC plans to commence later this year.

Read more about Glioblastoma here

The high rate of mortality of patients diagnosed with brain cancers and in particular with glioblastoma multiforme (the most lethal and devastating form) is driving the scientific community to discover and develop improved treatments that could increase the survival time and enhance the quality of life of patients.

Of the approximately 19,000 cases of malignant brain and spinal cord tumors that are diagnosed each year in the US, there currently is no satisfactory treatment, and the two-year survival rates are only in the range of 26%. Neither surgery, radiation nor anti-cancer drugs, the standard treatment modalities, have shown to date any prospect of meaningful extension of patients' lives.

Source: ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd.