Published in an international journal, the next-generation cancer immunotherapy shows 91.2% tumor growth inhibition and 97% metastasis prevention
[Research Triangle Park, North Carolina / Cambridge, Massachusetts / Seoul, Korea | July 18, 2024] Hudson Therapeutics announced that Shaperon, Inc. (Kosdaq 378800, CEO Seung-Yong Seong), a biotech company specializing in innovative immune therapeutics and a headquarter of Hudson in Korea, has published outstanding preclinical results of its next-generation cancer immunotherapy targeting cancer stem cells in the international journal 'Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy' (impact factor 7.5). This immunotherapy technology is being developed in collaboration with researchers from Seoul National University College of Medicine.
The cancer immunotherapy targeting cancer stem cells was found to not only activate the proliferation of cancer-killing 'T cells' in mouse tumor models but also increase the production of 'interferon-γ,' which boosts immune responses. Notably, it demonstrated an impressive 91.2% inhibition of melanoma growth and a 97% prevention of lung metastasis.
Shaperon's announced cancer stem cell target antigen is expressed in the stem cells of various cancers, including colon, breast, and lung cancers, and is a protein associated with cancer proliferation and resistance to immunotherapy. The research team believes that removing cancer stem cells through the target antigen can induce a sufficient anti-cancer immune response, making effective cancer treatment possible.
Cancer stem cells suppress anti-cancer immune responses and increase resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Due to this, efforts to effectively eliminate cancer stem cells to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors have continued, but there are few commercialized cases.
Dr. Seung-Yong Seong, CEO of Shaperon stated, "The significance of this next-generation cancer immunotherapy technology lies in the newly discovered promising target antigen that can efficiently eliminate cancer stem cells, evolving immuno-oncology technology to the next level. We expect it to be an excellent alternative to existing immune checkpoint inhibitors, which have low clinical remission rates and frequent recurrences, through new drug development." He added, "We anticipate that combining this with existing immune checkpoint inhibitors to remove cancer stem cells with immune resistance can drastically reduce not only tumor recurrence but also the possibility of metastasis. Based on these preclinical results, we will accelerate the development of nanobody technology for cancer stem cell target antigens to maximize anti-cancer treatment effects."
Ms. Janice Marie McCourt, CEO of Hudson Therapeutics said “We are thrilled to share the groundbreaking results from Shaperon's next-generation cancer immunotherapy therapeutic. This publication in a prestigious international journal underscores the potential of our innovative approach to target and eliminate cancer stem cells, significantly improving treatment outcomes for patients. The promising preclinical data paves the way for advanced clinical trials in orphan indications to start and future collaborations with partners, solidifying our commitment to revolutionizing cancer treatment. We look forward to further developing this therapeutic to offer more effective and targeted cancer therapies."