Alfacell Corporation has recently announced the identification of the genes and signaling pathways impacted by ONCONASE®, it’s anti-cancer drug that triggers apoptosis in malignant cells while leaving healthy cells alone. ONCONASE has shown great promise for the treatment of mesothelioma, as well as a number of other cancers.

Alfacell presented this latest data at the 5th Cancer Drug Research & Development conference. Its presentation identified 181 individual genes that were up- or down-regulated by ONCONASE, and these genes triggered apoptosis in specifically malignant cells. Alfacell also identified the intracellular MAPK signaling pathway as impacted by ONCONASE.

Susanna Rybak, Ph.D., a member of Alfacell’s scientific advisory board, described their findings as, “This work may explain the intrinsic anti-tumor activity seen after ONCONASE treatment through the identification of the specific genes affected and the biological pathways impacted...Additionally, this data is helping us to better understand the optimal intracellular pathways for developing antibody targeted ONCONASE compounds.”

It is hoped that further understanding the actual genes and pathways involved in ONCONASE therapy will allow Alfacell to engineer more targeted and effective compounds. ONCONASE is currently being studied in a Phase III clinical trial for people with unresectable pleural mesothelioma.

Labels: mesothelioma