Scancell Holdings, a developer of immunotherapies to treat cancer, has expanded its research collaboration with the rheumatology unit at the Karolinska Institute Sweden, it was reported on Friday.

The expanded agreement will explore the potential of the Moditope platform to produce multiple immunotherapeutic agents for a range of different cancers. Scancell's Moditope platform technology utilises citrullinated tumour-associated peptide epitopes to stimulate the production of killer CD4+ T cells. The activated T cells seek out and kill tumour cells that would otherwise be hidden from the immune system.

Scientists at the Rheumatology Unit at the Karolinska Institute, led by Professors Lars Klareskog and Vivianne Malmstrom, earlier revealed an essential role for citrullinated proteins in the pathogenesis of the autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis. This collaboration is based on the earlier agreement, announced on 11March 2016, which allowed the parties to explore how immunity to citrullinated proteins is involved in the control of tumour growth for the development of cancer vaccines.