Individuals with the inherited disorder Fanconi anemia cannot properly repair damage to their DNA, increasing risk of cancers such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
When used as monotherapy against tumors, small molecules that mimic the SMAC protein and thereby inhibit apoptosis are ineffective. The same is true for inhibitors of BET family proteins. If each therapy on its own does not work, what about the two therapies together?
Prognosis is extremely poor for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which accounts for around 90% of all head and neck cancer. Especially in the more aggressive subtype of HNSCC that is not associated with human papilloma virus infection, the natural killer cells that could fight HNSCC tumors are inhibited within the tumor microenvironment, in part because of the hypoxic conditions.
Aprea Therapeutics Inc. has announced new preclinical data on APR-1051, the company’s next-generation oral WEE1 inhibitor, in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. has added a preclinical candidate, APVO-455, to its portfolio of CD3-directed candidates built on the CRIS-7-derived CD3 binding domain.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which makes up the majority of head and neck cancers, is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis despite current multimodal treatments. Its progression is strongly linked to immune evasion and impaired immune signaling, highlighting the urgent need for new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to improve patient outcomes.
Investor hopes rose sharply for Merus NV’s phase III trials – data should roll out next year – with bispecific antibody petosemtamab after mid-stage results impressed Wall Street in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Shares of Utrecht, the Netherlands-based Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS) jumped, too, closing May 23 at $55.14, up $13.54, or 33%, on interim data as of the Feb. 27 cutoff date.
Everest Medicines Ltd. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for EVM-14, an off-the-shelf mRNA cancer vaccine targeting multiple tumor-associated antigens and designed to treat various cancers, including non-small-cell lung cancer and head and neck cancer.
Solid tumors are difficult to treat due to their heterogeneity and limited blood supply, which restrict the effective delivery of anticancer drugs. Macrophages are abundant in solid tumor tissues and are the only cell type actively infiltrating hypoxic tumor regions, making them a promising option for delivering therapeutic agents directly to tumors.
Newco Akribion Therapeutics GmbH has raised €8 million (US$8.3 million) in a seed round to develop a new and potent class of RNA-targeted CRISPR nucleases, which, rather than cleaving specific nucleic acids, can destroy every type of nucleic acid in a cell.
