ONCONASE is a first-in-class antitumor agent developed by Alfacell that has shown efficacy for the second-line treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Clinical trials involving ONCANASE have suggested a dual mechanism-of-action: the agent has its own specific anticancer activity and it sensitizes tumor cells to the effects of other chemotherapy agents as well. An article describing the underlying biological activity on ONCONASE has recently been published in the journal Cell Cycle. The authors show that ONCONASE derives its therapeutic effectiveness from its ability to target the role played by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in specific types of tumor genesis.

Labels: mesothelioma, treatments