APPENDIX 1 - FULL INTRODUCTIONS

Summary

Example 1: For the Laboratory Audience

The enzyme Tdp1 is considered to be responsible for repairing damage to topoisomerase 1. Its substrate in this damage is 3′ trapped DNA. The substrate in oxidative damage is also 3′ trapped DNA.

This made us wonder: Is Tdp1 also functional in the repair of oxidative damage?

Example 2: For a Departmental Audience

We now have clear evidence of antiidiotype immune responses in patients with follicular lymphoma, following vaccination with our idiotype vaccine. Despite this, we continue to see some cross-reactive antiidiotype immune responses in our in vitro assays.

To demonstrate that our idiotype vaccine truly has clinical efficacy, we have to demonstrate at least two important points. First, that in these patients who receive the idiotype vaccine, we see some improvement in their disease status, in terms of either shrinkage or complete resolution of their disease. And number two, in those patients where we actually see some change or improvement in their disease status, we can correlate that with some specific antiidiotype immune responses.

With regard to the first point, we have been able to demonstrate something significant in newly diagnosed patients with follicular lymphoma. These patients have undergone conventional chemotherapy, have some molecular evidence of residual disease, and have received our vaccine therapy. We have now demonstrated that they have been able to achieve a molecular remission in some cases, but only after they received the idiotype vaccine.