Dendreon Corp fka DNDNQ

[rancherho]

The abstract of the original article is at:http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/67/16/7893
An earlier, interesting complete article on the B7-H3 biomarker is at: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/101/35/12969
This earlier article implicates the biomarker in osteoblastic tumor growth as well as in immunosuppression. Some 90% of all AIPC is osteoblastic rather than osteolytic, meaning skeletal destruction comes from bone growth rather than cellular death.

The Kwon article appears somewaht unrelated to any Provenge applicability, except to suggest that as a therapy, as opposed to a diagnostic, it may be a better antigen target than PSA, PMSA or Prostatic Acid Phosphatase, the Provenge antigen target, especially since bone lesions have proven to be particularly resistent to regression or remission, whether by immunotherapy or chemotherapy. Perhaps in the rare cases where that has happened (once reported in the Ph2 trials of Provenge at Mayo, and once in a Ph1 combination trial of GVAX and ipilimumab), it may possibly have been the result of antigen cascade/epitope spreading where a different antigen than one targeted is attacked through a secondary immune reaction. Unfortunately, any FDA approved therapy building on this study will involve years of preclinical and clinical testing.