Generex Biotechnology Corporation announced the recent award of a US Department of Defense "Concept Award" for $525,000 to its Antigen Express, Inc. immunomedicines subsidiary for further development of a novel vaccine technology. The Review Group for this "Concept Award" was charged to identify applicants with new paradigms in the study of critical problems in prostate cancer research.

Antigen Express has pioneered and patented novel methods to enhance antigen-specific immune responses. Such antigens may arise in cancers or virus-infected cells, or can be induced by a DNA vaccine. The focus of Antigen Express is on the development of vaccines for cancer, HIV, SARS and bioterrorism agents.

"We are pleased that the US Department of Defense has recognized the novelty and promise of our technology," said Dr Eric von Hofe, vice president of Technology Development at Antigen Express.

The basis of this project is to suppress the expression of the immunoregulatory Ii protein. The Ii protein normally blocks the binding site of antigenic peptide epitopes to T helper cell receptors after their synthesis inside the cell. By suppressing the Ii protein, many intracellular peptides, including tumor-specific antigens, now bind to that receptor. The result is a specific T helper cell response potent enough that it can cure cancers in animal models and enhance DNA vaccines. The mechanisms for this and the advances toward the development of therapeutics using these methods are presented in papers published by Antigen Express scientists and collaborators in peer-reviewed journals.

"This peer-reviewed grant, receiving a very high priority score, demonstrates the quality of our research team," said Anna Gluskin, CEO of Generex. "The DoD Concept Award grant is only for novel technology of potentially great application. Generex is developing innovative solutions to control human disease and to defend against bioterrorism agents."