DLK1

Study offers hope for treating a potentially deadly childhood cancer PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced significant findings in the treatment of neuroblastoma, a cancer of the peripheral nervous system that usually occurs as a solid tumor in a child's chest or abdomen. The study offers insights that could lead to new, personalized medicine approaches in immunotherapy treatment. The findings were published today in the journal Cancer Cell. Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer in infants, accounting for a disproportionate share of pediatric cancer deaths. Currently, monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapy is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for neuroblastoma. However, this type of immunotherapy can cause painful side effects, and patients often relapse. All these factors led researchers to seek new and innovative approaches to treating this disease and safely improve cure rates. In this study, researchers used a multi-omics approach to analyze and identify potential new targets for immunotherapy, integrating proteomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic data to pinpoint biologically relevant proteins on the surfaces of cancer cells that are visible to the immune system. Reviewing comprehensive data helps scientists understand how cells function and what goes wrong in diseases like cancer. Based on their findings, the researchers prioritized the protein, Delta-like canonical notch ligand 1 (DLK1). They showed that high expression of DLK1 in cancer cells promotes tumor growth and discovered how neuroblastoma cells increase DLK1 levels. They also found that DLK1 is produced at a higher rate in many childhood and adult cancers. "Our study demonstrates the power of an integrative multi-omics approach to identify immunotherapeutic targets," said senior author, Sharon J. Diskin, PhD, a member of the Center for Childhood Cancer Research and Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics at CHOP and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The researchers subsequently studied a novel treatment called ADCT-701, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that delivers a potent therapy targeting DLK1-expressing cancer cells, as part of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Pediatric Preclinical in Vivo Testing (PIVOT) Program. They demonstrated that ADCT-701 was highly effective in eradicating highly resistant patient-derived tumors. The NCI is currently conducting a phase 1 clinical trial for treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms with ADCT-701 in adults 18 and older. "Our findings provided important validation and preclinical data to support an ongoing first-in-human DLK1-directed immunotherapy clinical trial for adult patients diagnosed with neuroendocrine neoplasms, including neuroblastoma," said the study's primary author, Amber Hamilton, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow at CHOP. "This research brings hope to families, offering the potential for more effective treatments." The research was supported by a grant from the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust, an Innovation Award from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, and a Stand Up 2 Cancer-St. Baldrick's Pediatric Dream Team Translational Research Grant (SU2C-AACR-DT1113 ). This work was also supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants U54-CA232568, R01-CA204974, R01-CA237562, R03-CA230366, U01-CA199287, R35-CA220500, U01-CA263957, U01-CA199222, F31-CA225069 and T32-CA009140. The work was delivered in part by the NexTGen Cancer Grand Challenges partnership funded by Cancer Research UK (CGCATF-2021/100002), the National Cancer Institute (CA278687-01) and The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research. Hamilton et al. "A proteogenomic sufaceome study identifies DLK1 as an immunotherapeutic target in neuroblastoma." Cancer Cell. Online October 24, 2024. DOI:10.1016/j.ccell.2024.10.003. About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the Middleman Family Pavilion and its dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit . Contact: Jennifer Lee Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (267) 426-6084 [email protected] SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

TAIPEI and BARCELONA, Spain, Sept. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking study conducted by PhytoHealth Corporation, a leading provider of botanical medicine, has revealed that combining Astragalus Polysaccharides (PG2®Lyo. Injection) with standard concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) significantly improves survival rates for patients with advanced esophageal cancer. The study enrolled 38 patients with stage IIb to IIIb esophageal cancer. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either CCRT alone or CCRT combined with PG2, a proprietary extract of Astragalus membranaceus roots developed by PhytoHealth Corporation. Results showed that patients who received PG2 in addition to CCRT experienced significantly longer overall survival compared to those who received CCRT alone. Furthermore, the combination therapy resulted in a higher tumor objective response rate. The study also found that PG2 helped strengthen the immune system by modulating the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and enhancing the suppression of tumor growth. 'These findings offer a new hope for patients with esophageal cancer,'' said Dr. Wen-Chieh Huang, Chief of Division of Thoracic Surgery at Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan and the Principal Investigator of the clinical trial for PG2, a drug for cancer-related fatigue (CRF) relief developed by PhytoHealth Corporation, Taiwan. "PG2 has the potential to become a valuable addition to the standard treatment regimen, and can achieve improved patient outcomes.'' The data will be presented as a poster at the prestigious 2024 ESMO Congress. [ESMO abstract link]. Dr. Huang noted that treatment options for esophageal cancer patients are relatively limited compared to those for other cancers. However, this study has shown that PG2 combination therapy can reduce inflammation markers in the blood, decrease the differentiation of macrophages towards the M2 type, and even help shrink tumors while improving survival rates. This represents a significant breakthrough in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Dr. Huang further added that esophageal cancer patients often face tremendous challenges during treatment, with many unable to complete their therapy. However, by incorporating CRF medication, most patients were able to regain their strength, complete the full courses of cancer treatment, and achieve the expected therapeutic effects. Esophageal cancer is a challenging disease with high recurrence rates and poor survival outcomes. PG2, previously established as a treatment for cancer-related fatigue (already approved by Taiwan Food and Drug Administration) has shown promise as a potential treatment enhancer. This latest discovery marks a significant advancement in the ongoing battle against this challenging cancer. About PhytoHealth Corporation PhytoHealth Corporation is a leader in the development and manufacturing of botanical medicine and natural health products based in Taiwan. With a focus on scientific research and innovation, PhytoHealth is committed to providing safe, effective, and high-quality products that support overall health and well-being. Contact: Alison [email protected] Logo - WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

TORL BioTherapeutics has a troop of four antibody-drug conjugates already in phase 1 trials. The new funding will help it complete current and future studies. For companies exploring the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) arena, the interest from Big Pharma and big-pocketed investors appears to be as strong as ever. The latest biotech to benefit from the ADC boom is TORL BioTherapeutics, which has brought in $158 million via a so-called series B2 financing. The oversubscribed round was led by Deep Track Capital and featured the return of backers such as Bristol Myers Squibb, Goldman Sachs Alternatives, UC Investments and Vertex Ventures, to name a few. There were also some new investors in the mix in the form of RA Capital Management, Perceptive Advisors and Avidity Partners. TORL already has an array of ADCs in the clinic and has earmarked the funds to bankroll current trials and planned studies. Heading up the company’s pipeline is TORL-1-23, which is undergoing a phase 1 study. The company is already gearing up to launch a phase 2 study later this year “to facilitate regulatory review and potential approvals for TORL-1-23 as a new therapy for patients with CLDN 6+, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer,” TORL explained in an April 10 release. Also coming through the clinic is the TORL-2-307 program, which includes a two-part phase 1 trial that sees patients either receive a monoclonal antibody or an ADC as a treatment for CLDN 18.2+ solid tumors. Two other ADCs—TORL-3-600 and TORL-4-500—are also in early-stage clinical trials to assess their potential to treat CDH17+ colorectal cancer and DLK1-positive solid tumors, respectively. These candidates form part of a “large program of biologics-based drugs for new, promising, and novel cancer targets” developed in the lab of noted UCLA cancer researcher Dennis Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., TORL explained. With the latest $158 million fundraising haul, the biotech has now brought in a total of $350 million since launching in 2019. TORL hasn’t been the only biotech to benefit from the boom in investor interest in ADCs. Last month, Germany-based Tubulis wrapped up its own series B2 financing round to the tune of 128 million euros ($138.8 million). And only last week, Merck & Co. scooped up a University at Buffalo startup called Abceutics that’s been working on improving the safety of ADCs.