OREANDA-NEWS. September 18, 2015. Scancell Holdings plc ('Scancell' or the 'Company'), the developer of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, today announces that Dr Stephanie McArdle, Senior Research Scientist from The John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Trent University will be giving a presentation entitled: ''Peptides or DNA vaccines? Could ImmunoBody® be the answer?" at the Cancer Vaccines Conference in London, 16-17 September 2015. The presentation will cover the criteria for designing an effective cancer vaccine, with particular reference to Scancell's ImmunoBody®.

ImmunoBody® is a DNA plasmid that encodes a human antibody or fusion protein engineered to express helper cell and CTL epitopes from tumour antigens over-expressed by cancer cells. Unlike current vaccine approaches that rely on a single activation mechanism, ImmunoBody® vaccines activate dendritic cells through two distinctly different and complementary mechanisms that maximise T cell activation and avidity: direct- and indirect/cross-presentation.

Scancell's first ImmunoBody®, SCIB1, is being developed for the treatment of melanoma and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial. The latest data suggests that SCIB1 may have the potential to significantly extend survival times in patients, especially in those with resected disease.

The John van Geest Cancer Research Centre is also engaged on collaborative research with Scancell on the development of an ImmunoBody® for the treatment of prostate cancer targeting PAP (prostate acid phosphatase).

Prof Lindy Durrant, Joint Chief Executive Officer of Scancell, said: "Cancer vaccines help boost the immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells. The design of a cancer vaccine is extremely important and needs to deliver very high avidity T cells in order to be effective. ImmunoBody® delivers high avidity T cells by combining the advantages of DNA and peptide vaccines in one molecule. We are delighted to be working with The John van Geest Cancer Research Centre on this exciting project."