Common menu bar links
Related Information
Institutes & Programs
- NRC Institute for Biological Sciences
- NRC Institute for Marine Biosciences
- NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health
- National Bioproducts Program
- National Institute for Nanotechnology
- National Research Council Canada
Areas of Research
Communities
Careers
News
Events
Contact
Scott Ferguson
Phone: 613-990-5948
Fax: 613-952-5136
Email: Scott.Ferguson@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Carbohydrate-based Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines
Summary
The Business Opportunity
An estimated 1,268,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the US in 2001 and an estimated 553,400 Americans will die from cancer. Despite reductions in age-adjusted rates of cancer death, the total number of recorded cancer deaths in the US continues to increase, due to an aging and expanding population. The NIH estimates the costs associated with cancer treatment to be in excess of US$35 billion. This figure does not include the cost of lost productivity due to disability or premature death.
The Technology
A vaccine involves the administration of an agent to an individual that will stimulate the immune system to make antibodies against antigenic components of the vaccine. The purpose of a vaccination procedure is to develop antibodies in the individual that on subsequent exposure to the same antigen(s) on the surface of cancer cells will evoke a response to destroy the cancer cells. The development of new cancer vaccines is problematic because cancer cells have no specific antigenic markers that will distinguish them from normal cells. The NRC technology employs the introduction of modified carbohydrate antigens to the surface of cancer cells to which a strong immunogenic response can be induced. This is achieved by feeding cancer cells a chemically modified precursor that becomes incorporated into the surface expressed antigens thus converting them to immunogenic markers. This protocol should help in the development of efficacious carbohydrate-based vaccines.
Patent Position
US and PCT patents are pending.
Recent Publications
Biochemical Engineering of Surface a2-8 Polysialic Acid for Immunotargeting Tumor Cells, T.Liu et al., J.Biol.Chem. 275(42), pp32832-32836, 2000.
Technology Transfer Possibilities
- A commercial exploitation license for the cancer vaccine.
-
Further development of this technology through a joint collaboration with NRC.
Key Contacts
Mr. Scott Ferguson, Business Relations
NRC Institute for Biological Sciences
1200 Montreal Road, Building M-54 , Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6
Tel: (613) 990-5948 / Fax: (613) 941-1327
e-mail: scott.ferguson@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Dr. Harold Jennings
Principal Research Officer
NRC Institute for Biological Sciences
100 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6
Tel: (613) 990-0821, Fax: (613) 941-1327
e-mail: harry.jennings@nrc.gc.ca
