Non-toxic Cancer Drug Discovery Platform
We have generated a unique database of human stem cell data and compare against cancer cells. Our platform identifies targets, e.g. for glioblastoma, confirming negligible expression in stem cells. We designed antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) against these targets. All 6 drug targets tested reversed tumour growth and killed tumour cells. For the cancer types listed below we completed our in vitro target validation. 1. Glioblastoma(GBM;StageIVglioma,braincancer) (5-year survival 6%) 2. Liver cancer (Hepatocellular carcinoma; HCC) (5-year survival rate 18%) 3. Multiple myeloma Our next planned indication areas are medulloblastoma, acut myeloid leukemia and lung adenocarcinoma.
Project Status
Funding Opportunity
Background
Next steps: 1. Liver Cancer Model (Hepatocellular carcinoma) • Pre-clinical in vivo and toxicology studies of ASO2, to determine efficacy, dose and toxicity. Performed by Charles River Laboratories, the gold standard for preclinical research. • ASO2 delivery to liver will be driven by well established GalNAc technology. This enhanced liver specificity will further enhance selectivity and increase clinical trial success. 2. Medulloblastoma (Pediatric brain cancer) Collaboration - Fred Hutchinson CRC • We have a signed CDA and partnership with Prof James Olson (Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch) to examine their FDA approved cancer-targeting agent called ‘Tumor Paint’, as a modality to deliver 5 of our cancer killing ASOs, in their in vivo animal models and hundreds of unique paediatric samples. https://ana-neurosurgery.com/tumor-paint-identification/ 3. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Pediatric blood cancer) Collaboration - Fred H CRC • We also have a signed partnership agreement with Professor Soheil Meshinchi (Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch) who has samples from over 3,000 patients and comprehensive pre-clinical in vivo models to validate our targets. We have recently completed target discovery for AML.
Project Details
We at oncoLife believe that effective cancer therapies need not be harmful to the patient. The recent advent of next generation data has permitted unprecedented insight into the specific genes driving cancer cell growth. This provides the exciting possibility of discovering therapeutic targets that are unique to the progression of each cancer type, but critically, are not involved in other tissues throughout the body. Our bioinformatics team has developed a state-of-the-art analytical platform to uncover these much needed, safe cancer therapeutics. Every functionally separate group of cells, whether healthy or diseased, will have a distinct signature of genes that produce their unique functional activities. We have developed a computational platform that isolates the unique genetic signatures that distinguish the cancer cells from the rest of the body. From these genetic signatures, we are able to identify genes switched on in cancer cells that are not active in normal, healthy human cell populations. It is these ‘cancer-specific’ genes that form the basis of our laboratory pipeline to fast track the development of powerful, and extremely cancer-specific therapies, designed from the outset to target cancer cells, while leaving heathy tissue unaffected. Our approach is far more sophisticated than conventional methods as we have unique in-house datasets that, combined with numerous publicly-available datasets, make it possible to carefully detect gene expression differences between stem and cancer cells using the same sequencing platform; custom-built, cutting-edge bioinformatic pipelines and in-depth genomic analyses. Our exhaustively filtered gene targets are then tested in vitro in relevant cell types to assess function, followed by in vivo testing.
Project Timeline
Present - IP
Required Funding$1,535,000
Statusongoing
Duration0 MonthsIntellectual property rights are gained for this project.
1st Year
Required Funding$967,000
Statusplanned
Duration12 MonthsProvisional patents for liver and brain cancers
2nd Year
Required Funding$852,000
Statusplanned
Duration12 MonthsFull patents for liver and brain cancers 1. Potential cancer platform buyout 2. Sell/Partner lead compounds