In This Article:
LB-100 Generates Neo-Antigens in Cancer Cells that are Presented to the Immune System
by Disrupting the Process of RNA Splicing
PASADENA, CA, June 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LIXTE Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. (“LIXTE” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LIXT and LIXTW), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company, today announced online publication of new pre-clinical data in the journal EMBO Reports, showing that its lead compound, LB-100, can turn immunologically “cold” tumors “hot,” potentially enhancing the benefit of immunotherapy.
In a paper titled, “The Phosphatase Inhibitor LB-100 Creates Neoantigens in Colon Cancer Cells through Perturbation of mRNA Splicing,” LIXTE’s collaborators from the Netherlands Cancer Institute have demonstrated that treatment of cancer cells with LB-100 disrupts the normal processing of the mRNA that encodes proteins, thereby generating neo-antigens that are presented to the host immune system. This new mechanism adds to several previous discoveries showing that LB-100 sensitizes cancer cells to immune checkpoint blockade.
Bas van der Baan, LIXTE’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “This new research further supports our ongoing clinical trials in lung and ovarian cancer in which LB-100 is combined with checkpoint immunotherapy. The bioactivity of LB-100 shown in this new study turns the large group of immunologically cold microsatellite stable colon cancer cells into tumors that are recognized by the immune system. This development has the potential to significantly expand the number of colon cancer patients who respond to immunotherapy. We are looking at additional ways to test this concept clinically in the near future.”
The current publication is a peer-reviewed version of a preprint that was previously made available in July 2023 to bioRxiv.org, the preprint server for biology, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a research and education institution. In the currently published manuscript, the authors provide direct evidence that LB-100 generates neo-antigens that are presented in the context of MHC class I antigens to the immune system.
The team of scientists reporting these findings was headed by Professor René Bernards at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and Oncode Institute, Amsterdam. Professor Bernards is a leader in the field of molecular carcinogenesis and is a member of the Board of Directors of LIXTE.
About LIXTE Biotechnology Holdings, Inc.
LIXTE Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on new targets for cancer drug development and developing and commercializing cancer therapies. LIXTE has demonstrated that its first-in-class lead clinical PP2A inhibitor, LB-100, is well-tolerated in cancer patients at doses associated with anti-cancer activity. Based on extensive published preclinical data (see www.lixte.com), LB-100 has the potential to significantly enhance chemotherapies and immunotherapies and improve outcomes for patients with cancer.