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Antibody therapy
We have been developing mouse and human monoclonal antibodies against several target-molecules that are expressed specifically in cancer cells. To examine the characteristics of such antibodies, we first investigated in vivo that antibodies can be accumulated in the human-cancer cell lines implanted in mice. In addition we investigated anti-tumor effect of the antibodies using the antibodies conjugated with or without radioisotopes.
For example, we have tested monoclonal antibodies against FZD10 that is expressed specifically in synovial sarcoma. In our mice model, single injection of the antibody conjugated with yttrium90 (radioisotope) resulted in marked or complete regression of synovial sarcoma cells expressing FZD10. Our company plans to continue the effort on isolating and evaluating the monoclonal antibodies further to develop therapeutic antibodies to human tumors.
Cancer peptide vaccines
Preclinical study
We have already isolated peptide vaccines for cancer treatment in the following cancer types. We are continuously working on development of additional peptide vaccines and will bring to clinical trials.
| Cancer type |
Gene |
| colon cancer |
B4469 |
| D3124 |
| Renal cancer |
C6776 |
| D0587 |
| Lung/Esophagus cancer |
C7457 |
| A3243 |
| A5411 |
| Pancreatic/stomach cancer |
A0041 |
| Bladder cancer |
B5860N |
| C2093 |
Clinical study
1. OTS-102: an angiogenesis inhibitor (currently under Phase I clinical trial)
Angiogenesis plays an essential role for continuous growth of proliferation and metastasis of cancer. One of the most vital factors for neovascularization is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) 2 / Kinase domain receptor (KDR) is the major receptor that transduces VEGF-signaling. KDR169 (composed of nine amino acids between 169 and 178 of VEGFR2) induces the most powerful KDR-specific CTL in an HLA-A*2402 dependent manner.
OTS102 contains KDR169 as its major component. Upon subcutaneous injection of OTS102 in patients with HLA-A*A2402, KDR-specific CTL is induced by the activation of T cells in response to KDR169 on CD8-positive cells. Augmented CTL exerts cytotoxicity to tumor-associated neovascular endothelial cells expressing KDR, and shows anti-tumor activity. OTS102 shows anti-tumor activity by different mechanism from Avastin, a humanized monoclonal antibody that interfere the association between VEGF and VEGFR by binding with VEGF.
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