Argos advances HIV immunotherapy approach

USA-based Argos Therapeutics and Canada's Universite de Montreal have generated encouraging early findings on their process for developing dendritic cell-based immunotherapies for HIV, according to data presented at the 2008 International AIDS Conference, held in Mexico City.

Results from a recent study demonstrate that loading monocyte-derived dendritic cells with combinations of HIV antigen RNA stimulates the expansion of HIV-specific T cells, which attack and kill HIV-infected cells. Argos' immunotherapies are generated by the company's Arcelis technology, which is a platform for creating autologous, RNA-loaded dendritic cell-based therapies matched to each patient's unique virus.

Results of recent assessments, presented for the first time at the 2008 AIDS meeting, show that the firm's novel product induces greater proliferation, maturation and differentiation of HIV-specific CD8 cells in vitro. These properties, especially expanding memory cells, which are required for long-term protection against pathogens, represent an improvement over other approaches, Argos noted.