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Paper in Cancer Biology & Therapy Confirms In Vitro Cytotoxic Effect of Alfacell's ONCONASE(R)
volume 6 | issue 8
August 2007Pages: 1162 - 1163
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Alfacell Corporation (Nasdaq: ACEL - News) announced that a paper published in Cancer Biology & Therapy (2007; Vol. 6, Issue 8) further confirms previous in vitro research that the cytotoxic effects of ONCONASE results from its catalytic activity.
The paper is the result of pre-clinical research conducted by Alfacell and collaborators at Martin-Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg, Germany that investigated the relationship between the stability and ribonucleolytic activity of ONCONASE and several genetically engineered variants of ONCONASE, and their cytostatic and cytotoxic properties in several tumor cell lines. Human tumor cell lines used in the study included NCI-H2452 (mesothelioma), K- 562 (chronic myelogenous leukemia) and A-253 (epidermoid carcinoma). In all cases, the data showed that ONCONASE was more effective than the variants. Additionally, the paper also confirms previous research indicating that the cytotoxic and cytostatic effects of ONCONASE are predominantly determined by its catalytic activity rather than by conformational stability.
"We are pleased that this published research not only confirms the cytotoxic effects of ONCONASE, but also provides evidence that the natural form of ONCONASE is the most effective form," said Kuslima Shogen, Alfacell's chairman and chief executive officer. "The data generated by Cindy Schulenberg of Martin-Luther University while she was at Alfacell as a visiting scientist serves as validation and support for our ongoing ONCONASE clinical and pre-clinical development programs."
About ONCONASE®
ONCONASE is a first-in-class product candidate based on Alfacell's proprietary ribonuclease (RNase) technology. A natural protein isolated from the leopard frog, ONCONASE has been shown in the laboratory and clinic to target cancer cells while sparing normal cells. ONCONASE triggers apoptosis, the natural death of cells, via multiple molecular mechanisms of action.
About Alfacell Corporation
Alfacell Corporation is the first company to advance a biopharmaceutical product candidate that works in a manner similar to RNA interference (RNAi) through late-stage clinical trials. The product candidate, ONCONASE, is an RNase that overcomes the challenges of targeting RNA for therapeutic purposes while enabling the development of a new class of targeted therapies for cancer and other life-threatening diseases. In addition to an ongoing Phase IIIb study in malignant mesothelioma, Alfacell is conducting a Phase I/II trial of ONCONASE in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other solid tumors. For more information, visit www.alfacell.com.