The
ROR1 protein is a receptor found on the surface of certain
cancer cells but not in normal adult tissues. It is particularly prevalent in specific
blood cancers, such as
chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL),
mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and
diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The antibody
UC-961 is designed to bind to ROR1, blocking signals that promote cancer cell survival.
VLS-101 is a drug that combines UC-961 with a toxin to target and kill cancer cells expressing ROR1.
In a study using patient-derived xenograft models of
Richter's Syndrome (RS), a severe form of
lymphoma, it was found that ROR1 is expressed in most RS cells. The presence of ROR1 was confirmed through various tests, and its activation led to the activation of survival pathways in RS cells. When RS tumor cells were treated with VLS-101 outside of the body, the drug induced cell death.
Further tests in animal models showed that VLS-101 effectively reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival in RS models that expressed ROR1. Notably, the drug was effective even when ROR1 was not uniformly present in all tumor cells, suggesting a 'bystander effect' where the drug can still impact nearby cells. Importantly, VLS-101 did not cause any observable adverse effects on the animals.
The study concludes that ROR1 is a potential target for RS, and VLS-101 has shown promise in preclinical models. A Phase 1 clinical trial for VLS-101 is currently underway to evaluate its safety and effectiveness in patients with
lymphoid cancers.
How to Use Synapse Database to Search and Analyze Translational Medicine Data?
The transational medicine section of the Synapse database supports searches based on fields such as drug, target, and indication, covering the T0-T3 stages of translation. Additionally, it offers a historical conference search function as well as filtering options, view modes, translation services, and highlights summaries, providing you with a unique search experience.

Taking obesity as an example, select "obesity" under the indication category and click search to enter the Translational Medicine results list page. By clicking on the title, you can directly navigate to the original page.

By clicking the analysis button, you can observe that GLP-1R treatment for obesity has gained significant attention over the past three years, with preclinical research still ongoing in 2023. Additionally, there are emerging potential targets, such as GDF15, among others.

Click on the image below to go directly to the Translational Medicine search interface.
