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RNA Medicine Shows In Vitro Anti-Cancer Efficacy
RNA Medicine Shows In Vitro Anti-Cancer Efficacy.
About this update from Coiled Therapeutics Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n22 June 2023\n \nRoquefort Therapeutics plc\n(\"Roquefort Therapeutics\" or the \"Company\")\n \nRNA Medicine Shows In Vitro Anti-Cancer Efficacy\nFurther preclinical progress\n \nRoquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ), the Main Market listed biotech company focused on developing first-in-class medicines in the high value and high growth oncology market, is pleased to announce the progress of its anti-cancer RNA oligonucleotide program targeting Midkine expressing cancers producing >90% in vitro efficacy (at the mRNA level) in human liver and neuroblastoma cancer cells.\nFollowing the announcement on 5 December 2022 of the Company's presentation of its Midkine RNA oligonucleotide program results at the European Society of Medical Oncology Asia conference, the development of its oligonucleotide portfolio has continued. This work has been conducted through strategic research partnerships at the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney and the Immune Oncology Laboratory at the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW).\n \nThe team led by Professor Mark Molloy at the University of Sydney, detected a novel peptide corresponding to the truncated Midkine protein from cancer cells. This in vitro proof-of-concept experiment utilised advanced proteomic analysis using mass spectrometry. The study confirmed that the Company's novel anti-sense oligonucleotides produced a novel non-functional Midkine protein. Non-functional Midkine protein has been shown to produce >90% in vitro efficacy (at the mRNA level) in human liver cancer and neuroblastoma cancer cells[1].\nThe UNSW team led by Scientia Associate Professor Orazio Vittorio and Dr. Filip Michniewicz has continued this line of research to evaluate the optimal combination of oligonucleotides in an in vitro model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) liver cancer. A proprietary combination of the Company's oligonucleotides demonstrated in vitro efficacy in HCC cells producing a significant reduction in full length Midkine and generated a novel non-functional Midkine. HCC is the fourth-leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide and accounts for ~90% of liver cancers[2] with an estimated market size of $8 billion (7% CAGR)[3]. Elevated Midkine has been associated with progression, metastasis and chemotherapy resistan...