Dr. Shmuel Yaccoby has been awarded a $338,830 grant from BioInvent International AB for: "Effect of BI-505 ICAM-1 antibody on growth of myeloma cells in vitro and in vivo."

ICAM-1 is a cell surface receptor expressed in myeloma plasma cells from the majority of patients with myeloma, and is involved in cell adhesion and drug resistance.
ICAM-1 is also expressed in several types of immune cells and endothelial cells.

The aims of the study are to:
1) Test the effect of a ICAM-1 antibody, BI-505 on myeloma cell growth in coculture with normal bone marrow cells
2) Test the effect of BI-505 on growth of myeloma cells in SCID-hu mice
3) Test the effect of BI-505 on NK cell mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against myeloma cells