>>FOSTER CITY, Calif., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cell Genesys, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEGE - News) today announced that it has entered into a three-year research collaboration with VectorLogics, Inc., in which Cell Genesys' oncolytic virus therapies will be evaluated in combination with novel methods to further enhance the viruses' cell targeting abilities. The methods, developed by David T. Curiel, M.D., founder of VectorLogics and professor and head of the Gene Therapy Center at the University of Alabama, involve the modification of structures located on the surface of the oncolytic virus that play a key role in directing the viruses to target, penetrate, and ultimately destroy cancer cells. Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.
"Cell Genesys' oncolytic virus therapies have demonstrated antitumor effects against prostate cancer in human clinical trials and have been shown to be highly selective in destroying cancer cells in multiple preclinical studies for many types of cancer," stated Peter K. Working, Ph.D., senior vice president, research and development at Cell Genesys. "We are excited about the potential of enhancing the ability of our oncolytic virus therapies to target tumor cells and believe that such second-generation oncolytic viruses may have an even greater range of therapeutic application."
Compared with traditional therapies, Cell Genesys' oncolytic virus therapies have a high therapeutic index with respect to their ability to kill tumor cells. In some instances, the therapeutic index of oncolytic viruses has been found to be as high as 100,000 to 1, i.e., for every 100,000 tumor cells that are killed, only one normal cell is killed. This is significantly higher than the therapeutic index commonly seen with chemotherapy -- approximately 10 to one -- and may result in greater efficacy with fewer side effects. The selectivity of Cell Genesys' oncolytic viruses is achieved by the addition of proprietary transcriptional regulatory elements (TREs) that serve to restrict viral replication to certain, desired cancer cell types. The collaboration with VectorLogics will initially focus on modifying the surface structures of adenovirus-derived oncolytic virus therapies to enhance the targeting ability to selected tumor types, and may then evaluate additional novel approaches that would further enhance tumor target specificity.
Oncolytic (cancer cell killing) virus therapies are comprised of viruses that are engineered to preferentially replicate in and destroy cancer cells, leaving normal cells largely unharmed. Cell Genesys is currently evaluating five products based on the company's proprietary oncolytic virus technology derived from adenovirus, one of the commonly occurring viruses responsible for the common cold. The company's two clinical stage oncolytic virus therapy product candidates, CG7060 and CG7870 target prostate cancer. Preclinical product candidates utilizing this technology include CG8840, CG8900 and CG7980 for bladder cancer, liver cancer and colon cancer, respectively.
Cell Genesys' oncolytic virus therapies are administered primarily by injection into tumors or body cavities containing tumors. The viruses are engineered to selectively replicate in cells that exhibit a cancer-specific characteristic. The virus replicates within the cancer cell until the cell bursts thereby destroying the cell and spreading the newly created viruses throughout the tumor. This cycle repeats in neighboring cells, and after destroying the cancer cells, the oncolytic virus is cleared from the body by the immune system.
Earlier this year, Cell Genesys announced that it had been issued a broad patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,432,700) that includes specific composition of matter claims pertaining to the company's proprietary oncolytic virus therapies which are comprised of adenoviruses engineered to replicate preferentially in and destroy cancer cells. The patent covers adenovirus-derived oncolytic viruses that are genetically engineered to have at least two different, cell type-specific gene switches referred to as transcriptional regulatory elements (TREs), elements that serve a key role in restricting viral replication to certain, desired cell types.<<
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