Replies to post #5302 on Dendreon Corp fka DNDNQ

[poorgradstudent]

>One of the fascinating aspects of DNDN's antigen cassette technology, which uses a chemical linker to fuse an antigen with GM-CSF<

This is minutiae, and i'm not trying to nitpick, but I think it is important to point out that DNDN's technology does not use a chemical linker. The DNA sequences encoding the GM-CSF and the target protein (PAP) are joined "in frame", meaning that they are expressed as one larger chimeric (two part) protein.

The term "chemical linker" would imply that both proteins are prepared separately, and then non-specifically joined at random sites through reaction with some nasty chemicals. This type of process is often used for certain laboratory work, but due to its nonspecific nature, it's not a great proposition for a biotech drug.

[iwfal]

CEGE showed slides at the FDA/NCI workshop that showed that merely dosing GM-CSF as a separate recombinant protein at the same time, as the failed Canvaxin melanoma vaccine tried, not only doesn't work, but that GM-CSF if overdosed can potentially act as an immune suppressor.

Do you have a link? I have some interest in GM-CSF and cancer.