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Moleculin Announces Breakthrough Discovery: WP1066 Potentially Capable of Immune Reprogramming in Glioblastoma Animal Models
HOUSTON, Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Moleculin Biotech, Inc., (Nasdaq: MBRX) ("Moleculin" or the "Company"), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a
About this update from Moleculin Biotech, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"HOUSTON, Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Moleculin Biotech, Inc., (Nasdaq: MBRX) (\"Moleculin\" or the \"Company\"), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of drug candidates targeting highly resistant tumors, today announced that a paper entitled \"Immunological Reprogramming in the CNS Tumor Microenvironment and Therapeutic Efficacy of Radiotherapy with STAT3 Blockade\" will be presented at the Inaugural Conference on Brain Metastases, in New York City, August 16-17, 2019.\n\n \n\"As the scientific community is increasingly focused on the potential of STAT3 inhibition for the treatment of cancer, this is a very timely discovery,\" Walter Klemp, Moleculin's Chairman and CEO, remarked. \"Dr. Martina Ott, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, will be presenting the findings of research she conducted in collaboration with Dr. Amy Heimberger (the Principle Investigator of the current investigator-initiated clinical of WP1066 for brain tumors) in combining WP1066 with radiation therapy in glioblastoma animal models. One of the findings of her research that is especially encouraging is that immune-competent mice treated with both radiation and WP1066 developed an immunological memory that enabled them to prevent regrowth of the tumor after these tumor cells were reintroduced. The result was the development of long-term survivors, leading to an increase in overall survival in these models. Of note was that mice with a compromised immune system did not show this effect.\"\nDr. Sandra Silberman, Moleculin's Chief Medical Officer for New Projects, commented: \"Making any kind of impact in treating glioblastoma is exciting, and we think Dr. Heimberger's findings will have a profound impact on understanding the role of STAT3 inhibition, as well as help focus our continued development of WP1066 in this disease. This study was also particularly interesting because it showed the most robust immunological responses were located in the CNS (Central Nervous System) tumor microenvironment rather than peripheral non-tumor tissue. Importantly, the study indicated that the combination of STAT3 inhibition with whole brain radiotherapy had the capacity to enhance the therapeutic effect against established tumors based on immunological competence. We're now very eager to explore this potential in human clinical trials.\"\nAbout Moleculin B...