Feb 24 - Lorus Announces Publication Demonstrating Antitumor Efficacy of Interleukin 17E (Lorus Therapeutics Inc.) - NEW
IL-17E stimulated the production of eosinophils and increased the infiltration of eosinophils into tumors in association with antitumor response.
Press release (PDF)

Feb 24 - CT45, an Unexpected Link Between Hodgkin Lymphoma and Reproductive Germ Cells (newswise) - NEW
The high frequency of strong expression of CT45 in Hodgkin lymphoma indicates that CT45 could be a cancer vaccine target for Hodgkin lymphoma and related grey-zone lymphoma — lymphomas that bear the characteristics of both classic Hodgkin lymphoma as well as diffuse large B cell lymphoma, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Press release

Feb 24 - New cancer-fighting strategy focuses on signaling molecules (University of California, San Francisco) - NEW
Cancer researchers studying the immune system have identified a previously unrecognized set of targets and biomarkers to battle solid tumors.
http://news.ucsf.edu/releases/new-cancer-fighting-strategy-focuses-on-signaling-molecules/

Feb 18 - FDA Approves Rituxan Plus Chemotherapy for the Most Common Type of Adult Leukemia (Genentech, Inc.) - NEW
Rituxan is a therapeutic antibody that binds to a specific protein called CD20 found on the surface of cancerous and normal B-cells.
Press release

Feb 18 - Tremelimumab shows low but durable response rate in advanced melanoma (OncoLink) - NEW
Formerly known as ticilimumab, tremelimumab is a fully human IgG2 monoclonal antibody that binds to CTLA4, a protein expressed on the surface of activated T cells.
OncoLink news report

Feb 16 - Denosumab showed promise in patients with giant cell tumor of bone (HemOnc Today) - NEW
Denosumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody against RANKL.
http://www.hemonctoday.com/article.aspx?rid=61022

Feb 16 - BCG Superior For Treating Bladder Cancer (Renal and Urology News) - NEW
In a study of 837 patients, instillation of BCG alone or with INH decreased the risk of disease recurrence, distant metastases, overall survival, and disease-specific survival compared with instillation of epirubicin.
News report

Feb 15 - New Strategy Produces Promising Advance in Cancer Vaccines (National Jewish Health) - NEW
Researchers at National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado School of Medicine have developed a peptide vaccine that binds strongly to naturally occurring T cells and stimulates them to vigorously attack cancer cells in mice.
http://www.nationaljewish.org/about/mediacenter/pressreleases/2010/peptide-vaccine.aspx

Feb 11 - New Scientific Publication Highlights Long-Term Survival of Brain Cancer Patients Treated With Peregrine Pharmaceuticals' Cotara(R) (Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
Cotara is an experimental radioimmunotherapy treatment for brain cancer that links a radioactive isotope to a targeted monoclonal antibody designed to bind to the DNA histone complex that is exposed by dead and dying cells found at the center of solid tumors.
http://ir.peregrineinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=444373

Feb 9 - Health Canada approves a second vaccine against HPV (The Globe and Mail)
Health Canada approved Cervarix, a vaccine designed to protect against infection with two strains of human papillomavirus, HPV 16 and 18, and which also offers some protection against HPV 31, 33 and 45.
News story

Feb 9 - Phase I Trial Commences Treating Patients with Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancer Using Novel Monoclonal Antibody (BioSpace)
NPC-1C is a novel, chimeric monoclonal antibody intended for the treatment of advanced pancreatic and colorectal cancer.
News report

Feb 9 - An Early Warning System for Cancer (Technology Review)
The researchers found that, within a limited number of blood samples, the screening test could detect cancer-associated autoantibodies in patients recently diagnosed with prostate, breast, and ovarian cancer.
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24505/

Feb 8 - Inovio Biomedical Cervical Cancer Therapeutic Vaccine Generates Dose-Related Immune Response in Clinical Trial (Inovio Biomedical Corp.)
Analyses of the vaccinated subjects from the first two cohorts indicate that this vaccine is highly immunogenic, generating antigen-specific T-cell and antibody responses that are amongst the highest reported from any previous human studies of DNA vaccines.
Press release

Feb 3 - Seattle Genetics and Millennium Announce Initiation of Phase I Combination Clinical Trial of Brentuximab Vedotin (SGN-35) for Front-line Hodgkin Lymphoma (Seattle Genetics, Inc.)
Brentuximab vedotin is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets CD30.
Press release

Feb 3 - Extended interferon therapy not beneficial in primary melanoma (OncoLink)
Extending conventional low-dose interferon (IFN)-alpha 2a therapy from 18 months to 5 years yields no significant benefit for patients with intermediate- or high-risk primary melanoma.
OncoLink news report

Feb 2 - Antibodies Against Abnormal Glycoproteins Identified as Possible Biomarkers for Cancer Detection (NIH News)
The researchers found distinct abnormal mucin-type O-glycopeptide epitopes that were targeted by autoantibodies in cancer patients — but such antibodies were absent in healthy controls.
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2010/nci-02.htm

Feb 1 - Pertuzumab useful for trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer (OncoLink)
Pertuzumab, a HER2-targeted monoclonal antibody, can be an effective treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer that progressed during prior trastuzumab therapy.
OncoLink news report