TGFBI

The test will be used by providers and consumers to monitor muscle growth. BOCA RATON, Fla., March 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Physicians Lab, a provider of at-home lab testing for integrative medicine and wellness, launched a new at-home lab test that measures the analytes myostatin and follistatin. The test will show the current myostatin and follistatin levels and the ratio of myostatin to follistatin. The new test will be useful for monitoring muscle loss or growth in individuals. Continue Reading "Our research team has delivered another test that's convenient, reliable and has a fast turnaround time," Jaime Rios, CEO of Physicians Lab, said. "Our method is minimally invasive. We can provide valuable insight into a person's muscle development without burdening them by taking a large blood sample. Our team is excited to expand Physicians Lab solutions and to offer this at-home lab test to integrative providers and directly to health-conscious consumers." Physicians Lab provides convenient at-home lab testing that is precise, reliable and timely. Post this Myostatin, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily, is a potent regulator of muscle growth. It acts primarily to inhibit muscle development, maintaining muscle size by inhibiting both the growth and differentiation of muscle cells. Assessing myostatin levels can provide valuable understanding of muscle homeostasis and the pathological mechanisms underlying muscle wasting diseases. Follistatin, serves as an antagonist to myostatin and other members of the TGF-β family. By binding to and inhibiting these growth factors, follistatin promotes muscle growth and has a critical role in muscle repair and regeneration. It's involved in a variety of biological processes beyond muscle growth, including reproduction and the regulation of inflammation. "GLP-1 has become a popular weight loss intervention," Rios said. "Understanding myostatin levels could be beneficial to patients on GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide, since up to 40 percent of the weight loss during therapy could come from lean mass loss, which includes muscle." Physicians Lab uses the technique called bloodspot microsampling. This method allows for the collection of blood samples in a minimally invasive manner. It requires only a small volume of blood that can be obtained from a simple finger prick. To determine the values of myostatin and follistatin, Physicians Lab uses a high-sensitivity Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. This ensures accurate quantification of myostatin and follistatin levels in these small-volume samples. For more information about Physicians Lab and at-home lab testing solutions, visit . About Physicians Lab Physicians Lab, located in Boca Raton, FL, provides convenient at-home lab testing that is precise, reliable and timely. Physicians Lab serves physicians focused on integrative medicine and wellness for an aging population by shipping easy-to-use lab kits to patients' homes. Physicians Lab also delivers superior retail solutions direct to consumers who are actively seeking to manage their health and wellness. Contact: Jaime Rios, CEO (877) 326-5969 [email protected] SOURCE Physicians Lab

Proceeds to accelerate clinical development of first-in-class bifunctional EGFR/TGF-β inhibitor, BCA101, for multiple cancer types, including 1L HPV-negative recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) Presented positive interim clinical data at 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting and ESMO Congress 2023 from ongoing Phase 1/1b dose expansion study of BCA101 in combination with pembrolizumab demonstrating clinically meaningful anti-tumor activity and tolerable safety profile in 1L HPV-negative R/M HNSCC Financing co-led by Braidwell LP and TPG, with participation from other new and existing leading healthcare investors BOSTON, MA, USA I December 12, 2023 I Bicara Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing dual-action biologics to elicit a potent and durable immune response, today announced the completion of an oversubscribed $165 million Series C financing. The financing was co-led by Braidwell LP and TPG, which is investing in the company through TPG Life Sciences Innovations (TPG LSI) and The Rise Fund, with additional new investors including Deerfield Management, Fairmount, Aisling Capital and a leading biotechnology investor associated with one of the largest alternative asset managers. All existing Series B investors also participated in the round. “Momentum at Bicara is increasing following our BCA101 Phase 1/1b data presentations at key 2023 medical meetings,” said Claire Mazumdar, Ph.D., MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Bicara Therapeutics. “Our proof-of-concept data in frontline HPV-negative R/M HNSCC, a very difficult patient population to treat, underscore the promise of BCA101 as a new precision therapeutic option for these patients. With additional data readouts anticipated in 2024, we remain excited about the overall potential of BCA101 to help patients with HPV-negative R/M HNSCC, as well as other solid tumor types. We are thrilled to partner with this syndicate of new and existing leading healthcare investors, who share in our vision for BCA101 and Bicara’s bifunctional antibody platform.” In connection with the Series C financing, Carolyn Ng, Ph.D., Business Unit Partner with TPG LSI, has joined Bicara’s board of directors. “Bicara’s Phase 1/1b dose expansion study of BCA101 has delivered encouraging, clinically meaningful interim results and offers an excellent foundation from which to continue to build Bicara into a leading oncology company,” said Dr. Ng. “I am excited to join Bicara’s board of directors at such an important time and look forward to working with this talented management team and distinguished board of directors to advance new treatments for cancer patients.” With the completion of the Series C financing, Bicara has raised $273 million in 2023. About BCA101 BCA101 is a first-in-class, dual-action, bifunctional antibody designed to inhibit the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and disable transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) directly at the tumor site. This approach is designed with the intent to allow BCA101 to inhibit tumor proliferation, while restoring the cytolytic activity of the local immune cells. BCA101 is currently being evaluated in a dose expansion phase of an open-label Phase 1/1b study in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with unresectable R/M HNSCC and advanced SqNSCLC and as a monotherapy for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. About Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) develop from the mucosal epithelium in the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx and are the most common malignancies that arise in the head and neck. Oral cavity and larynx cancers are generally associated with tobacco consumption, alcohol abuse or both, whereas pharynx cancers are increasingly attributed to infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), primarily HPV-16. Thus, HNSCC can be biologically separated into HPV-negative and HPV-positive HNSCC, the latter carrying a more favorable prognosis. Treatment approaches for locally advanced HNSCC generally consist of surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for oral cavity cancers and primary or definitive CRT for pharynx and larynx cancers. The immune checkpoint inhibitors pembrolizumab and nivolumab are approved by the U.S. FDA for treatment of platinum-refractory recurrent or metastatic HNSCC, and pembrolizumab is approved as first-line monotherapy in patients with unresectable or metastatic disease with a CPS ≥1 or combined with platinum and 5-fluorouracil for patients with any CPS score. HNSCC is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, with approximately 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths in 2018. The incidence of HNSCC continues to rise and is anticipated to increase by 30% by 2030. 1 About Bicara Therapeutics Bicara Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class biologics engineered to combine the precision of well validated, tumor-targeting antibodies with the power of tumor microenvironment modulators. The Company’s bifunctional antibodies are designed to deliver an immunomodulatory payload directly to the tumor microenvironment to ramp up immune cell activity, offering the potential for synergistic therapeutic impact at the site of the tumor. Bicara’s lead product candidate, BCA101, is a first-in-class EGFR/TGF-β-trap bifunctional antibody in clinical development for multiple tumor types. For more information, please visit www.bicara.com or follow us on LinkedIn or X . SOURCE: Bicara Therapeutics

KANAZAWA, Japan, Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Cancer Research how Kras and p53 mutations influence the tumor suppressor and promoter functions of a TGF- ß pathway. The findings may lead to a new approach for colorectal cancer therapy. Both the progression and the suppression of tumors are governed by biomolecular processes. Often, a particular process is involved in either cancer progression or suppression. Cancer treatment in the form of drugs then typically focuses on the respective deactivation or activation of the relevant biomolecular process. However, it has been established that a process known as transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) signaling plays a role in both tumor suppression and progression. Now, Masanobu Oshima from Kanazawa University and colleagues have studied the precise genetic conditions underlying the outcome of TGF-ß signaling. Their findings may help the development of new therapeutic strategies for particular cancers. The suppressive effect of TGF-ß signaling happens through the stimulation of cell differentiation — the process through which dividing cells acquire their type or function. The malignant progression of cancers, on the other hand, comes from a process called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which an epithelial cell transforms into a mesenchymal cell type. The former is a 'stationary' type of cell, found in epithelial tissue, whereas the latter is a more 'migratory' type of cell found in development and cancer. Oshima and colleagues performed experiments with tumor-derived organoids. They confirmed that TGF-ß family cytokine, activin plays a role in tumor suppression and progression dependent on the mutation types of driver genes. In certain cancer cells treated with activin, the researchers noted that the partial EMT is induced with tumor aggressiveness and development. On the other hand, certain mutated activin receptors were found to have cancer suppressor capabilities, which made the scientists conclude that genetic alterations underlie the dual function of activins. One of the two relevant genes is Kras which relays signals that regulate cell growth, division and differentiation. Oshima and colleagues found that a mutation of Kras blocks TGF-ß/activin-induced growth suppression. The other gene is known as Trp53, which encodes tumor protein 53, playing an important role in cancer regulation. A combination of Kras and Trp53 mutations at hot spots, known as gain-of-function mutation, was found to not just block tumor suppression but promote partial EMT and tumor proliferation. The experiments were done with mouse intestinal tumor-derived organoids with defined genetic backgrounds, which makes the results relevant for therapeutic strategies for human colorectal cancer. Quoting the scientists: "Based on these results, the control of TGF- ß/activin signaling appears to be an important preventive and therapeutic strategy against the malignant progression of colorectal cancer carrying […] mutations". Background Transforming growth factor beta signaling Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is a protein of the cytokine type. Cytokines are small proteins that play crucial roles in controlling the growth and activity of blood cells and immune system cells. TGF-β is a signaling cytokine, meaning that it participates in cell signaling mechanisms — a cell's ability to receive, transmit and process signals with its environment. Because of its involvement in immune and stem cell regulation and differentiation, TGF-β is intensively researched in the fields of infectious diseases, auto-immune diseases, development, and cancer. Regarding the latter, it is known that TGF-ß signaling can lead to both tumor progression and tumor suppression, but what exactly drives one or the other is not understood at present. Masanobu Oshima from Kanazawa University and colleagues have now studied TGF-ß signaling in colorectal cancer mouse models and found that genetic alterations lie at the basis of the dual function of TGF-ß — a finding that may lead to new therapeutic strategies for colorectal cancer. Fig 1 caption: Effects of gene mutations on tumor development. Reference Dong Wang, Mizuho Nakayama, Chang Pyo Hong, Hiroko Oshima, and Masanobu Oshima. Gain-of-function p53 mutation acts as a genetic switch for TGF-β signaling-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in intestinal tumors, October 18 2023. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-23-1490 URL: Contact Hiroe Yoneda Senior Specialist in Project Planning and Outreach NanoLSI Administrative Office WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) Kanazawa University Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan Email: [email protected] Tel: +81 (76) 234-4555 About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University is a research center established in 2017 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The objective of this initiative is to form world-tier research centers. NanoLSI combines the foremost knowledge of bio-scanning probe microscopy to establish 'nano-endoscopic techniques' to directly image, analyze, and manipulate biomolecules for insights into mechanisms governing life phenomena such as diseases. About Kanazawa University As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities. The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa – a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas. SOURCE Kanazawa University