A Novel Molecular Targeted Therapy with Artificial Targets

February 29, 2016

Dr. Shunsuke Kagawa, Associate Professor of Okayama University Hospital Minimally Invasive Therapy Center, Dr. Hisataka Kobayashi, Principal Investigator of National Cancer Institute (NCI), and their colleagues have developed a new cancer treatment that attacks cancer cells by using artificial targets.

The results of this research were published on February 1, 2016 in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

In recent years, molecular targeted therapies that attack specific cancer cells have been developed. However, it has been an issue that some types of cancers, such as a gastric cancer, do not have many valid targets in a molecular targeted therapy. Another major barrier of this treatment is that the appearance of the target is not consistent.

Dr. Kagawa’s research group succeeded to express the target antigen forcibly by using genetically modified virus formulation. They also developed a new type of molecular targeted therapy by combining the existing antibody drug and photoimmunotherapy that uses body-friendly near infrared ray. They have demonstrated the effect with mice that were transplanted human gastric cancer into their abdominal cavity.

The finding can be applied to various target antigens. Not only significant improvement in the therapeutic effect, but also this finding is expected to deliver molecular targeted therapy to a wide range of patients.

Contact information

Mototaka Senda, Ph.D.
Director, Okayama University Silicon Valley Office
Organization for Research Promotion and Collaboration, Okayama University
2450 Peralta Blvd. #222
Fremont, California USA
TEL&FAX: 1-510-894-3067
Email: takasenda (a)oakayama-u.ac.jp
For inquiries, please contact us by replacing (a) with the @ mark.
　
Shunsuke Kagawa, M.D., Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Okayama University Hospital Minimally Invasive Therapy Center,
Okayama University, Okayama Japan