DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cancer Advances, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for gastrointestinal cancers, announces a new publication in Frontiers in Oncology, section Gastrointestinal Cancers: Gastric & Esophageal Cancers.
The gastrointestinal peptide gastrin has been shown to stimulate growth of gastric cancer through the cholecystokinin-B receptor (CCK-BR), a receptor that is expressed in at least 56.6% of human gastric cancers. The researchers evaluated the effects of PAS (Polyclonal Antibody Stimulator), a Phase 3 ready cancer vaccine that induces antibodies to gastrin, alone or in combination with a Programed Death-1 antibody (PD-1 Ab) in immune competent mice bearing YTN-16 gastric tumors.
- Tumor growth was significantly slower than controls in PAS-treated mice, and tumor growth rate was decreased even more in combination-treated mice.
- There were no metastases in any of the mice treated with PAS either alone or in combination with PD-1 Ab.
- PAS monotherapy or combined with PD-1 Ab increased tumor CD8+ T-lymphocytes and decreased the number of immunosuppressive M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages.
- PAS monotherapy or combined with PD-1 Ab significantly decreased fibrosis in the tumor microenvironment.
These results show that the addition of PAS to therapy with an immune checkpoint antibody may decrease growth and metastases of gastric cancer by altering the tumor microenvironment and interrupting the autocrine pathway between gastrin and the CCKB receptor.
The study was conducted in collaboration with the manuscript's lead author, Jill P. Smith, MD, professor of medicine and oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center, through a sponsored agreement with Cancer Advances, Inc. Cancer Advances plans to seek approval for PAS in the treatment of gastric and pancreatic cancers.
Link to publication:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2021.788875/full
About Cancer Advances, Inc.
Cancer Advances Inc. (Durham, NC) is a biotechnology company focused on impacting human health and preventing the progression of gastrointestinal cancers by enhancing the adaptive immune system. The company is led by an experienced management team and has a broad intellectual property portfolio.
About Polyclonal Antibody Stimulator (PAS)
Polyclonal Antibody Stimulator (PAS) vaccine is an immunomodulator potentially applicable in multiple cancer types including gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal. The vaccine is a peptide-conjugate that includes an N-terminal epitope of human gastrin-17 (G17) linked to carrier diphtheria toxoid. PAS has been studied in multiple clinical trials, in over 1,500 subjects, and has demonstrated an excellent safety and tolerability profile. Cancer Advances exclusively owns PAS and is funding and managing all aspects of the PAS gastrin vaccine program.
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Cancer Advances, Inc.
E-mail: tphillips@canceradvances.com
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