ImmunGene Inc.
Linking interferon to antibodies to fight tumors
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Interferon has proved helpful in treating many diseases, but its usefulness has always been limited by side effects that arise from the drug's inherent ability to stimulate the immune system. Start-up ImmunGene Inc. thinks it has figured out a way to engineer interferon so that it has little potency unless and until the protein binds to a tumor, only then displaying an active form of interferon capable of provoking inflammation and triggering cell death.