ProteinQure’s Post

🚀 Big News from ProteinQure! 🚀 Exciting update: ProteinQure, has validated our lead program for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and I'm thrilled to announce that our findings will be presented at the upcoming AACR conference in San Diego, showcasing our commitment to advancing cancer research (see press release for poster details). Our novel Peptide Drug Conjugate (PDC) has shown exceptional efficacy in battling TNBC, even in treatment-resistant cases. Performed at Dr. David Cescon's lab at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/University Health Network, our PDC demonstrated remarkable results in over 15 heterogeneous Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) models. As a computational drug discovery company, it has been amazing to stop trying to convince people with benchmarks on irrelevant data sets and start pointing to multiple drug candidates that ProteinQure has enabled. We are looking forward to collaborating further with world-class clinicians on our Phase I clinical trial in the near future. I will be at AACR to learn from and speak to researchers about our development candidate and planned FIH trial. #ProteinQure #CancerResearch #AACR2024 #PrecisionMedicine #DrugDevelopment #AIDrugDiscovery https://lnkd.in/geZTFMtY

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as a promising approach in cancer treatment, offering targeted delivery of potent drugs to cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. However, challenges remain in optimizing their efficacy and tolerability. At Zymeworks, our researchers are developing next-generation #ADCs designed to achieve robust anti-tumor activity. Advances in technology and understanding of ADCs offer opportunities to improve their efficacy and tolerability, both as monotherapy and in combination with other cancer treatments. The coordinated design and optimization of ADCs holds promise for providing clinical benefits to cancer patients, and the potential for a positive outcome. Learn more in this article from BioSpace authored by our Chief Scientific Officer Paul Moore, PhD: https://lnkd.in/e44Y5y9s #AACR24

Halfway into 2024, I conclude that 2023 was quite a productive year with one prostate cancer publication and one major review article. After I left AstraZeneca in 2013, I chose to start working at Karolinska (instead of seeking a new job in the pharma industry) primarily because I already then became aware of completely new opportunities with molecular analyzes (e.g. Proximity Extension assay) of Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) materials. After 10 years, we now know that this is feasible – far beyond all expectations (!) - but it has been incredibly tiring to constantly chase funding (usually with rejections in absence of – or with only “cryptic” or “bureaucratic” justifications). After publishing of four original articles (showing proof-of-principle in breast, lung and prostate cancer diagnostics) and one review article, and a presentation of our work at European Biobank Week (May 2024), perhaps new opportunities can be created. I am completely convinced that minimally invasive FNA sampling combined with advanced, ultra-sensitive and multiplex molecular analyzes can provide extended clinical significance within the next 10 years - as a precision diagnostic tool for translational research, drug development and not least for cancer patients. If you wish to learn more, please read our open access review article (Franzén B, Auer G, Lewensohn R. Minimally invasive biopsy-based diagnostics in support of precision cancer medicine. Mol Oncol. 2024 Mar 22. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.13640).

March Biosciences Secures $13.4M Non-Dilutive Funding for Phase 2 Trials of MB-105, a CD5 CAR-T Therapy We're thrilled to announce a $13.4 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to advance our innovative CD5 CAR-T therapy, MB-105, into Phase 2 studies for T-cell lymphoma. Patients living with T-cell cancers face a dismal prognosis with a lack of true standard of care options once they become relapsed or refractory to first-line therapies. MB-105 is currently in Phase 1 studies for these indications, and has shown promising safety and efficacy signals which could shift this paradigm. The funding follows a $4.8 million investment from the Cancer Focus Fund earlier this month. We're grateful for CPRIT's recognition of our efforts and dedication to advancing cancer therapies. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gvJzHEV7 #MarchBiosciences #CPRIT #Biotech #CancerResearch #MB105 #CellTherapy #Lymphoma #Leukemia #CancerTherapy

Since the FDA first greenlit chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy five years ago, Penn Medicine has secured an impressive 20 more approvals for various cancer drugs and diagnostic techniques. It's worth noting that "cancer" isn't a single disease but a collective term for over 100 distinct conditions, each requiring unique treatment approaches. So why the surge in new treatments over such a short period? According to Dr. Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, Director of Abramson Cancer Center (ACC), the wave of approvals can be credited to a recent "knowledge boom" in the field of cancer biology. #oncology #oncologyresearch #clinicaltrials #clinicalresearch #cra #clinicalresearchassociate https://lnkd.in/gtSnb8PW

The "International Symposium on Cell Engagers and Cancer Immunotherapy," hosted by Elpiscience Biopharmaceuticals, has wrapped up with great success. If you missed out, don't worry! Follow us to dive into the exciting highlights from the symposium. Dr. Chen Dong from Westlake University delivered the presentation on "Targeting T-Cell Exhaustion in Cancer." Dr. Chen Dong revealed new mechanisms in the regulation of anti-tumor CD8 T cells, focusing on the crucial challenge of overcoming T cell exhaustion in cancer immunotherapy. His study explored the mutual regulation of progenitor T cells (Tprog) and terminally differentiated T cells (Tterm) by transcription factors BCL6 and BLIMP1 in a mouse model. Key insights from his report include: BCL6 Function: Promotes long-term persistence of Tprog cells via the TGF-β-SMAD2 signaling pathway by inhibiting the Tterm transcription program. IL-2–STAT5 Signaling: Inhibits BCL6, leading to BLIMP1 transcription and subsequent Tterm differentiation. Impact of BCL6 Loss: Reduces Tprog cell persistence without affecting their generation, promoting their differentiation into Tterm cells and diminishing long-term tumor control. Dr. Chen Dong emphasized that BCL6 acts as a "checkpoint" for T cells, maintaining a delicate balance between Tprog and Tterm cells, which is essential for an effective response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. These findings offer valuable insights for clinical applications in immune-oncology therapeutics. Stay tuned for more updates……. #Immunotherapy #CancerResearch #BiME #SymposiumHighlights #CellEngagers #ImmuneOncology

SRI researchers identify a biomarker to target and treat pancreatic cancer via SRI International: https://bit.ly/3G0vfFM. "Researchers in SRI’s Biosciences division have identified a new carbohydrate biomarker, known as Neu5Gc-Sialyl Lewis A, that is found in a range of solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer. Using SRI’s proprietary FOX ThreeTM platform, researchers have discovered a new molecular guidance system (MGS) — a peptidic ligand that binds to this biomarker on cancer cells — allowing for the evaluation of Neu5Gc-Sialyl Lewis A as a pancreatic cancer biomarker, as well as the use of the MGS as a cancer targeting agent." #PancreaticCancerEarlyDetection #AMMG #AgeManagementMedicine #CMEEducation #ContinuingMedicalEducation #CMEConference

Researchers Discover a New Way to Enhance HER2 Breast Cancer Treatments New research findings promise significant advances in the treatment of HER2 breast cancer. The research team successfully inhibited the DUSP6 protein using experimental drug molecules, significantly enhancing the therapeutic effect of existing HER2 inhibitors. In animal studies, the use of the drug proved to be safe and effective, highlighting the potential of DUSP6 in future cancer drug research. Although these molecules are not yet suitable for patient use, the research results provide important evidence of DUSP6's promise in the development of cancer treatments. The study "DUSP6 inhibition overcomes Neuregulin/HER3-driven therapy resistance in HER2 breast cancer" has been published in the prestigious journal EMBO Molecular Medicine. This breakthrough would not have been possible without the support of Finnish foundations, particularly the Cancer Foundation Finland, the Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute, and the Finnish Cultural Foundation. Read the full article https://lnkd.in/d-gyX5yA. #CancerResearch #HER2BreastCancer #DUSP6 #MedicalScience #Research

⚕️ Research Luxembourg: Taking the fight to #cancer 👏 A Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) in collaboration with Sprint Bioscience and the Karolinska Institutet has unlocked the potential of STING agonist-based cancer #immunotherapy. 🔬 The promising new strategy for cancer treatment stems from an immunotherapy combination that pairs a STING agonist, which enhances the #immunesystem, with a compound that targets #autophagy, a mechanism implicated in cancer immune evasion. This dual therapeutic approach markedly reduced tumour size and improved #survivalrates in preclinical studies, offering new hope of shifting the paradigm in #cancertreatment. 🗣 Dr. Bassam Janji (PhD, HDR), Head of the TIME group at LIH, adds: "This research offers a new hope for overcoming the several disappointments encountered in past clinical trials with STING agonists. By enhancing the STING pathway and circumventing cancer’s immune evasion strategies, we have the potential to develop durable and powerful new immunotherapies." 🔗 Learn more about this #research: https://lnkd.in/dHKiP923 #cancerresearch #cancerimmunotherapy #medicalbreakthrough