>>AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INGN - news) announced today the publication of a manuscript in the cancer journal Oncogene, describing bioinformatic and functional analyses of the mda-7 gene. Preclinical studies, related to INGN 241, Introgen's mda-7 drug, demonstrate that mda-7 is a multi-functional gene, with properties similar to a cytokine, and induces the death of a variety of cancer cells. The article entitled, ``Genomic structure, chromosomal localization and expression profile of a novel melanoma differentiation associated (mda-7) gene with cancer specific growth suppressing and apoptosis inducing properties'' was co-authored by Drs. Sunil Chada and Abner Mhashilkar of Introgen.
The manuscript is the result of collaborative work from a number of researchers led by Dr. Paul B. Fisher of Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as scientists at Introgen Therapeutics, Argonne National Laboratories, and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - Robert Wood Johnston Medical School. Dr. Fisher is Professor of Clinical Pathology and the Michael and Stella Chernow Urologicial Cancer Research Scientist in the Departments of Neurological Surgery, Pathology and Urology at Columbia University. Dr. Fisher's laboratory discovered the mda-7 gene for which Introgen holds an exclusive license from the Corixa Corporation in all gene therapy applications.
``We previously thought that mda-7 acted only as a tumor suppressor gene,'' said Sunil Chada, Ph.D., director of research and development for Introgen. ``We are now learning that mda-7 may function as a cytokine (a regulator of the immune system) as well; this is important because the combined effects of tumor-selective apoptosis and immune stimulation by INGN 241 may have synergies to produce profound anti-cancer effects.''
The laboratory studies indicate that mda-7 gene expression is regulated in a complex and coordinated fashion in normal and cancer cells. Mda-7 mRNA was found in a very restricted set of human tissues -- only those associated with the immune system, further reinforcing the concept that MDA-7 protein may have immuno-regulatory properties. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Introgen Therapeutics and Department of Defense.
``The combination of genomic structure, chromosomal localization and expression analyses suggest that the mda-7 gene belongs to the IL-10 family of cytokines,'' said Dr. Fisher. ``mda-7 appears to be unique in this family of genes in that it is the only family member with cancer specific growth suppressing and apoptosis inducing properties,'' said Dr. Fisher.
INGN 241 is a modified adenoviral vector that carries the cancer cell killing mda-7 gene. Previous studies indicated that Adenoviral-mda7 treatment results in targeted destruction of breast, lung and colon cancer cells, while sparing normal cells. A Phase I clinical study using INGN 241 is in progress. This ongoing study examines the use of the drug in cancer patients with various solid tumors.<<
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