Combination Therapy of F16IL2 and Paclitaxel in Solid Tumour Patients

Breast cancer is a major cause of cancer mortality, second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in women. The five-year survival rate for localized breast cancer has increased from 80 percent in the 1950s to 98 percent today. However, the mortality rate in the most advanced forms remains unsatisfactory. Indeed, the extensive use of mammography within screening programs has led to cancers being detected earlier, when early treatments may be more effective. A greater understanding of the molecular biology and genetic expression of breast cancer has therefore led to new pre-surgical and post-surgical treatments, including hormone modulators and monoclonal antibodies. Many of these agents have led to decreased mortality and disease recurrence.

F16 is a human recombinant antibody fragment in the scFv (single chain Fragment variable) format that is directed against tenascin C, an angiogenesis marker common to most solid tumors independent of the tumor type. ScFv(F16) selectively localizes in tumor tissues in animal models as demonstrated both histologically and during mechanistic studies involving mice transfected with orthotopic human tumours.

IL2, the human cytokine interleukin-2, is a potent stimulator of the immune response. It has a central role in the regulation of T cell responses and effects on other immune cells such as natural killer cells, B cells, monocyte/macrophages and neutrophils (Smith, 1988). IL2 can induce tumor regression through its ability to stimulate a potent cell-mediated immune response in vivo (Rosenberg, 2000).