DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL THERAPEUTIC AGENTS THAT TARGET CANCER

Over the past decade it has become abundantly clear that cancer initiating stem cell CSC elimination is imperative to cure cancer Unfortunately most of the existing clinical therapies target the bulk tumor and spare the very small number CSCs comprising andlt of tumor which expand after completion of therapy and cause relapse Transgenex Nanobiotech Inc TGN R and D has demonstrated the feasibility of targeting natriuretic peptide receptor A NPRA to cease tumor progression however NPRA s role in CSCs was unclear In the phase I contract TGN scientists developed a library of small molecules by computer modelling and screened them for their capacity to target CSC This led to identification and validation of compound heretofore designated NRI as a bona fide inhibitor of NPRA NRI showed anti CSC activity in generations of sphere forming assays and it showed no harmful effect in mice in the pilot acute toxicity studies