Argos Therapeutics Presents Immunosuppression Data for Soluble CD83 at the American Society of Transplantation Congress 2007DURHAM, N.C. — May 4, 2007 — Argos Therapeutics today announced the presentation of data on the immunosuppressive properties of soluble CD83 at the 7th Joint American Transplant meeting to be held in San Francisco, May 5-9. The presentations will be made in collaboration with scientists at the University of Western Ontario. "These data suggest that soluble CD83 is able to extend graft survival in transplantation, and that it can also act synergistically with other immunosuppressive agents," commented Dr. Stephen Brand, Director of Biotherapeutics at Argos Therapeutics. "sCD83 appears to be able to maintain antigen presenting cells in an immature state, and these immunologically tolerant cells favor regulatory T-cell generation because they are less effective in activating na?ve T and B cells." "This emerging activity profile for sCD83, as well as its ability to suppress antibody production without systemic suppression, may provide advantages over currently available B-cell targeting therapies," said Dr. Charles Nicolette, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research and Development of Argos. "The extended graft survival that we have observed thus far indicates that sCD83 could potentially provide enhanced organ function, without immune rejection, and may serve to reduce the toxic profile associated with many commonly used immunotherapeutic agents. These data support Argos' plans to conduct additional studies with CD83 in transplantation and autoimmune models, which will provide important information as we develop a clinical strategy for this candidate." Data will be discussed in the following presentations:
About Soluble CD83CD83 is a glycoprotein expressed on the cell surface of mature dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent stimulators of immune responses. The strong upregulation of this protein during DC maturation suggests that it plays an important functional role in the induction of immune responses. Experimental data demonstrate that soluble CD83 can potently down-regulate immune responses, indicating that it can be developed to treat transplantation rejection and variety of autoimmune disorders. Importantly, data from animal models demonstrate that soluble CD83 exerts its effects without a requirement for chronic administration and does not leave the subject globally immunosuppressed. In April 2006, Argos obtained exclusive therapeutic use rights for CD83 from Beckman Coulter. About Argos Therapeutics, Inc.Argos Therapeutics is developing breakthrough immunotherapies that target
the unique features of a patient's disease. This new generation of
personalized cancer and infectious disease therapeutics trains the
immune system to recognize and attack the disease. Argos' scientific
leadership in RNA-loaded dendritic cells and advanced manufacturing
processes provide a platform to tackle virtually all forms of cancers
and infectious diseases. Argos is a private biotechnology company headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC. The Company has clinical trial programs in cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and has an ongoing co-development and commercialization alliance with the Pharmaceutical Division of Kirin Brewery Company, Limited. Contacts
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