Patients with metastatic or unresectable gastric cancer are usually given 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and platinum-based chemotherapy, but patients with advance disease usually have a poor prognosis. The use of chemotherapy increased the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 in tumor cells, which in turn increase the levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the tumor microenvironment. When PGE2 binds to their receptors EP1 to EP4 on immune cells, it triggers an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The use of the EP2 and EP4 dual antagonist OCT-598 was tested in the preclinical setting for gastric cancer.
Tumor immune evasion mechanisms could be reversed by activating intracellular antiviral immune responses. It has been reported that the use of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitors combined with poly(ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors activated stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway in a process named pathogen mimicry response.
Mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) plays a relevant role in growth, survival, migration and tissue repair. Alterations in MET have been found in non-small-cell lung cancer and head and neck cancer, and are associated with aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancer types.
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin Madison and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute recently presented preclinical data for the radiopharmaceutical therapy candidate [177Lu]PNT-6555.
Scientists and doctors are getting much better at developing treatments for cancer. More than 18 million people with a history of cancer were alive in the U.S. at the beginning of 2022, up from just 3 million in 1971, according to the 14th edition of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Cancer Progress Report. And that number is expected to rise to 26 million by 2040.
Researchers from Sichuan Baili Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Systimmune Inc. presented preclinical data for the novel CD33-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) being evaluated for the treatment of hematologic malignancies.
α-Fetoprotein (AFP) is a tumor-associated antigen and an ideal target for T-cell receptor T-cell (TCR-T) therapy. While the safety of AFP-targeting TCR-T products has been previously demonstrated in early clinical trials, the efficacy of these cell therapies is still modest, warranting further research.
Researchers from Gempharmatech Co. Ltd. presented a new humanized mouse model for preclinical research into the functionality and therapeutic potential of IL-12.
Researchers from ADC Therapeutics SA presented the discovery and preclinical evaluation of a novel camptothecin-based Claudin-6-specific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), GB01-VA-PL2202.
Researchers from Peptidream Inc. presented preclinical characterization of novel carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX)-targeting radiopeptides, [64Cu]PD-32766 and [177Lu]PD-32766, being developed for the diagnosis and treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), respectively.