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TransCode Therapeutics Reports Positive Preclinical Results with its Immunotherapy Candidate, TTX-siPDL1, in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
BOSTON, Nov. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransCode Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNAZ), an RNA oncology company committed to more effectively treating cancer
About this update from Transcode Therapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"BOSTON, Nov. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransCode Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNAZ), an RNA oncology company committed to more effectively treating cancer using RNA therapeutics, today reported positive preclinical results with its immunotherapy candidate, TTX-siPDL1, in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. After two weekly treatments with TTX-siPDL1 combined with the standard-of-care chemotherapeutic, gemcitabine, tumor volumes were 25% of those in untreated animals. By the fifth week of treatment, 75% of animals treated with TTX-siPDL1 plus gemcitabine were still alive versus 25% of those that were treated with gemcitabine alone. This is the second drug candidate from TransCode’s platform to show positive preclinical results in pancreatic cancer. The animal model used in this latest study involving TransCode’s siRNA immunotherapy candidate involved implantation of a highly aggressive murine cell line directly into the pancreata of recipient mice. Body weight and histopathology assessments provided preliminary evidence that the treatment was tolerated. Finally, immune cell profiling of tumors from the treated animals indicated successful PD-L1 inhibition and immune cell activation, consistent with the known mechanism-of-action (MOA) of checkpoint inhibitors. Because TTX-siPDL1 incorporates a siRNA against PD-L1 as its functional component, it has the potential to trigger the degradation and/or translational repression of the PD-L1 messenger RNA (mRNA), preventing the cell from expressing the PD-L1 antigen. Pancreatic cancer has proven difficult to treat with conventional drugs and has been resistant to initial immunotherapy approaches. The reason pancreatic cancer is challenging to treat with immunotherapy is in part due to the presence of a thick fibrous corona surrounding the tumor. In human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, or PDAC, up to 90% of the total volume of the tumor is represented by fibrous tissue, inhibiting access of therapeutics and immune cells into the tumor. “This is yet another opportunity to showcase our TTX platform which is designed to overcome challenges faced by existing lipid and liposomal systems in delivering RNA therapeutics inside tumor cells and metastatic sites. Demonstrating the ability to deliver RNA therapeutics inside tumors and metastases and to affect documented targets for cancer treatment that ha...