Quantum Immunologics (QI) is dedicated to the research and development of therapies and diagnostic applications using the oncofetal antigen/immature laminin receptor(OFA) as the target antigen. OFA is a logical target for cancer immunotherapy¹s because it has been found to be expressed as a surface receptor protein on the surface of all cancer lines tested to date, including leukemia, lymphoma, prostate, lung, melanoma, renal, and ovarian cancers. Therefore, OFA is not only expressed on many cancers, but is only present on cancer cells and fetal cells but not on normal cells.

Functionally OFA is felt to play an important role in tumor invasiveness and metastasis. In patients with cancer such as breast cancer there is evidence that OFA elicits an immune response in these patients with evidence of OFA antigen specific T and B cell responses. In order to boost this immune response to the cancers QI has developed an autologous dendritic cell therapy that uses OFA as a target immunogen.  In this process, the patient¹s monocytes are harvested via leukopheresis, cultured to induce dendritic cells, sensitized to OFA, and then re-injected into the patient with the intent of producing a cytotoxic T-cell response. This therapy is presently being studied in a QI-sponsored Phase I/IIa, FDA-authorized clinical study involving metastatic breast cancer patients.

QI is also engaged in pre-clinical research involving certain proprietary OFA antibodies and peptides.  The Company believes the antibodies to OFA have the potential to induce an immune response in addition to the T cell response.

Becauseof the ubiquitousness and specificity of OFA, QI is also developing a diagnostic test to detect the presence of cancer in its sub-clinical state.   This research is being conducted by QI’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Kent Johnson, and Scientific Advisory Board member, Dr. James Varani, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

QI will be initiating additional clinical trials in the near future on breast cancer as well as other cancers.