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Biotech / Medical : momo-T/FIF -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tom pope who wrote (2402)	4/19/2005 2:41:56 PM
From: Ian@SI	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12215

Basic Research: Immunity / Chemokines Public release date: 19-Apr-2005 Contact: Heidi Hardman hhardman@cell.com 1-617-397-2879 Cell Press Chemokines orchestrate more than migration for immune cells Scientists have discovered that chemical signals thought to function primarily as cellular traffic directors play a much more complex role in the activation of the adaptive immune response than was previously expected. The research, published in the April issue of Immunity, demonstrates that the molecules belonging to a class of proteins called chemokines do more than simply guide migration of the immune cells that are activated in the very early stages of infection. Dendritic cells (DCs) are present in tissues that are closely associated with the external environment. DCs function as a kind of sentinel for the immune system, constantly sampling their surroundings for potentially harmful pathogens. Once they encounter a bacteria or virus, the DCs mature and migrate from the periphery to lymphoid tissues where they activate T cells, critical immune cells that are essential to the immune response. Chemokines are molecules that have been shown to direct the migration of DCs and recent research has indicated that they may also play a role in DC maturation. Dr. Martin F. Bachman from Cytos Biotechnology in Switzerland and colleagues were interested in identifying new proteins that might indirectly govern T cell responses through activation of DCs. The researchers found that the chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 induced maturation of activated DCs and a subsequent upregulation of potent stimulatory molecules that enhanced T cell proliferation. Mice that lack CCL19/CCL21 had only partially activated DCs even when the DCs were activated by pathogen signals, suggesting that the chemokines are required for full maturation of DCs and proper activation of T cells. "These findings indicate that induction of DC maturation is an important property of CCL19/CCL21 and suggest that chemokines may not only organize the migration of DCs but also directly regulate their ability to prime T cell responses," writes Dr. Bachmann. A clear understanding of the influence of these chemokines on T cell immune responses will be useful for rational design of future antiviral and anticancer therapies. ### The researchers included Benjamin J. Marsland, Chiara Nembrini, and Manfred Kopf of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology; Patrick Bättig, Monika Bauer, Christiane Ruedl, Ute Lässing, Roger R. Beerli, Klaus Dietmeier, Lidia Ivanova, Thomas Pfister, Lorenz Vogt, Philippe Saudan, and Martin F. Bachmann of Cytos Biotechnology AG; and Hideki Nakano of Duke University Medical Center. Publishing in Immunity, Volume 22, Number 4, April 2005, pages 493–505. immunity.com

To: tom pope who wrote (2402)	4/19/2005 6:17:07 PM
From: zeta1961	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12215

ARIA..I've been too busy researching MYGN.. Seems nobody is giving a crumb these days to small bio's..until they have to..ASCO abstracts get mailed on April 29th..Maybe they're waiting for the thrilla' in Orlando I'd have made more money running a doggie walking business this year than in bio..since I don't short But, imo, the shorts eventually do get longer..my internal mantra these days.. Zeta

To: tom pope who wrote (2402)	4/20/2005 12:45:32 AM
From: zeta1961	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12215

ARIAD Receives Fast-Track Designation by the FDA for mTOR Inhibitor, AP23573, in the Treatment of Sarcoma Wednesday April 20, 12:01 am ET Addresses Limited Treatment Options for Life-threatening Conditions CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 20, 2005--ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARIA - News) today announced that its novel mTOR inhibitor, AP23573, has been designated a fast-track product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of soft tissue and bone sarcomas. The FDA's decision was based, in part, on review of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials of AP23573 conducted by ARIAD in refractory sarcoma patients and the recognition that soft tissue and bone sarcomas are serious and life-threatening conditions for which treatment options are limited or non-existent. The FDA's fast-track program is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs that have the potential to address unmet medical needs. Based on today's announcement, ARIAD will pursue treatment of soft tissue and bone sarcomas as the initial registration path for AP23573. ADVERTISEMENT [-40861] The benefits of the FDA's fast-track program include closer and more frequent interactions with the agency during clinical-trial planning and New Drug Application (NDA) filing and generally a higher likelihood of being granted accelerated approval on the basis of a surrogate measure of clinical benefit in cancer patients, such as progression-free survival. "We believe that the FDA's fast-track designation for AP23573 is the Company's most important milestone to date," said Harvey J. Berger, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of ARIAD. "Since there are no effective therapies currently available for advanced soft-tissue sarcomas or metastatic refractory sarcomas in general, the FDA decision represents a potential breakthrough for patients with an otherwise untreatable cancer." Initial data from the ongoing Phase 2 study of AP23573 in patients with relapsed and/or refractory sarcoma will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting being held in Orlando, Florida, May 13 to 17, 2005. About Sarcoma Sarcomas are cancers of the connective tissue, including bones, muscles, fat, cartilage, and joints, not discriminating by age, gender or race. Sarcomas can arise anywhere in the body and are divided into two main groups - bone tumors and soft tissue sarcomas. They are further sub-classified based on the type of cell or tissue from which the tumor developed. There are approximately 12,000 new cases of sarcoma diagnosed each year in the United States and approximately 100,000 sarcoma patients overall in the United States. More information about sarcomas is available at sarcomafoundation.com and at sarcoma.net. About AP23573 The small-molecule drug, AP23573, starves cancer cells and shrinks tumors by inhibiting the critical cell-signaling protein, mTOR, which regulates the response of tumor cells to nutrients and growth factors, and controls tumor blood supply and angiogenesis through effects on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in tumor and endothelial cells. AP23573 also blocks the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, the primary cause of narrowing and reblockage of injured arteries, and is an analog of sirolimus, another mTOR inhibitor that has been approved for use in drug-eluting stents. AP23573 is currently in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in patients with solid tumors and hematologic cancers. AP23573 has been designated a fast-track product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of soft tissue and bone sarcomas. <snip>