Bellicum: Dendritic cell engineering

Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc. believes its BP-GMAX-CD1 autologous dendritic cell-based prostate cancer vaccine will provide a more potent and longer-lasting response than first-generation vaccines, because it can be activated at the right time and location in the body using an injectable compound that acts as a switch.

The company says its approach extends dendritic cell lifespan, minimizes nonspecific immune responses and circumvents negative feedback mechanisms that exist to protect the body from autoimmune activity. ...