Pci Biotech as

Pål Johansen

Anders Høgset

Anders Hogset

The present invention relates to a method of treating or preventing melanoma using vaccination or immunisation, wherein said vaccination or immunisation involves the use of a photosensitizing agent, a melanoma antigen (i.e. an antigenic molecule), for example a vaccine component, and irradiation with light of a wavelength effective to activate the photosensitizing agent. The invention also relates to said photosensitizing agent and melanoma antigen for use in such a method, and to cells produced by the method.

Treatment or prevention of melanoma using photochemical internalization of a melanoma antigen

A method of vaccination or immunisation involving the use of a photosensitizing agent, an antigenic molecule, e.g. a vaccine component, and an agent which enhances the effect of photochemical internalization (PCI)-mediated vaccination is disclosed wherein the agent is a ligand for a Toll-like receptor (TLR), and irradiation is with light of a wavelength effective to activate the photosensitizing agent. Antigenic, e.g. vaccine compositions, useful in such a method are also disclosed along with a method of generating antigen presenting cells which may be used to generate an immune response based on introducing antigenic molecules, e.g. vaccine components, into cells to achieve antigen presentation. The invention also provides methods of achieving vaccination in a subject using such cells.

Compound and method for vaccination and immunisation

The present invention provides a method of expressing an antigenic molecule or a part thereof on the surface of a cell using a photochemical internalization method in which a cytokine, preferably GM-CSF, is used to enhance the method. The method may be used to stimulate an immune response and for various therapeutic or prophylactic methods. Pharmaceutical compositions or kits comprising the components for use in the method, cells produced by the method and their use in therapy and prophylaxis also form aspects of the invention.

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Winterthur, Switzerland

Pål Johansen