Here is another one on INGN 241.It seems management wants to continue to support the stock before they try to issue more shares.<g>
Bernard
Introgen's INGN 241 Effective Against Multiple Cancers in Preclinical Studies>
Monday June 6, 12:00 pm ET
INGN 241 Studies in Breast, Pancreatic and Ovarian Cancer Cells Presented at ASGT
ST. LOUIS, June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INGN - News) reports new preclinical findings on the anti-cancer activity of INGN 241 alone or in combination with a variety of other therapeutic modalities in breast, pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells and as a cancer vaccine.
The data were presented at the American Society of Gene Therapy 8th Annual Meeting (ASGT). Conducted with collaborators at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the studies show that expression of the mda-7 tumor suppressor gene, the active component of INGN 241, increases cancer cell death and stimulates systemic immunity against cancer. INGN 241 currently is being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with malignant melanoma.
"The molecular biology of cancer is highly complex and modulating the activity of multiple cancer-related pathways is an essential step toward a cure for this disease," said Sunil Chada, Ph.D., associate vice president, Clinical Research, at Introgen.
"The data presented at ASGT highlight the diverse anti-cancer activities of INGN 241 and suggest that this investigational therapy targets several key pathways that impact the development, growth and metastasis of cancer cells. INGN 241 is a key that may unlock many of the molecular doors that today are barriers to effective cancer therapy."
The data were presented in four abstracts. Highlights of the data include:
INGN 241 induces tumor-selective growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death (apoptosis) in nine breast cancer cell lines, and results in a significant reduction in tumor growth in in vivo models of breast cancer. (Abstract #287).
These effects are enhanced when INGN 241 is combined with conventional anti-cancer drugs including Tamoxifen® (Astra-Zeneca), Taxotere® (Sanofi-Aventis), Adriamycin (Bedford Laboratories) and Herceptin® (Genentech), or radiation therapy.
Abstract #290 suggests that INGN 241 induces apoptosis and cell killing in ovarian cancer cells but not normal ovarian epithelial cells. Treatment of ovarian cancer cells with INGN 241 and an investigational anti-cancer agent called Vitamin E Succinate, results in enhanced growth inhibition compared with controls or with either agent alone. No significant growth inhibition is observed in normal ovarian epithelial cells.
The next study evaluated the immune activation properties of INGN 241 in animal models with functional immune systems (Abstract #691).
Vaccination of mice with tumor cells treated with INGN 241 results in complete protection from tumor growth. Administration of INGN 241 to tumors results in significant inhibition of tumor growth, with a subset of animals showing complete and prolonged tumor regression.
The complete tumor regression was not found in mice lacking functional immune systems, indicating that INGN 241 stimulates the immune system to fight cancer.
Treatment of pancreatic cancer cells with INGN 241 leads to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
This tumor cell killing correlates with down-regulation of proteins in two specific molecular pathways. Additionally, pancreatic cancer cells treated with INGN 241 secrete MDA-7 protein, which kills neighboring cancer cells. This is called a bystander effect. (Abstract #809)
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