Avenge Bio, Inc., a biotechnology company developing the LOCOcyte immunotherapy platform for the precision administration of potent immune effector molecules to treat solid tumors, announced a publication in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Cancer Research describing the foundational, preclinical data establishing the efficacy and safety of pleural administered LOCOcyte™ for the treatment of pleural malignant mesothelioma. The manuscript, entitled “Activation of adaptive and innate immune cells via localized Interleukin-2 cytokine factories eradicates mesothelioma tumors,” was published today and can be viewed on the Clinical Cancer Research website.
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Malignant mesothelioma and lung cancers which have metastasized to the pleural cavity remain particularly deadly with median survival times of less than a one year. Mesothelioma affects the organs that are lined by the mesothelium including the organs of the chest (pleura) and abdomen (peritoneum). It is a highly aggressive cancer and is essentially lethal in all cases. Despite recent advances in therapies to treat malignant mesothelioma, optimal and safe delivery remains a challenge. Current therapeutic options are of limited efficacy in both early and late-stage disease. Immunotherapies, including the use of PD-1 inhibitors, delivered systemically, have been shown to marginally extend patient survival. To overcome this challenge, a research team at Rice University led by Professor Omid Veiseh, Ph.D., has developed an innovative immunotherapy platform that enables engineered cells to produce immune-activating molecules, for a specified duration, within this fluid tumor microenvironment.
The Clinical Cancer Research manuscript details the LOCOcyte™ platform and its safety and efficacy in preclinical models. The human cells are engineered to produce murine immune cell signaling molecule interleukin-2 (IL2), a critical cytokine that initiates a robust localized immune response when administered into the pleural cavity of tumor-bearing mice that model advanced malignant mesothelioma. Overall, we observed a significant reduction of tumor burden in mice treated with IL2 monotherapy and complete eradication of tumor burden in mice treated with IL2 and an immune checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy.
“The continued occurrence of malignant mesothelioma necessitates the clinical assessment of new, effective treatments. Thus, the potential of the IL-2 cytokine factory for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma highlights the urgency of its evaluation in clinical trials,” said Dr. Veiseh, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University and a Founder of Avenge Bio.