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Xenetic Biosciences, Inc. and VolitionRx Limited Collaborate to Develop NETs-Targeted Adoptive Cell Therapies for the Treatment of Cancer
FRAMINGHAM, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 2, 2022 / Xenetic Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:XBIO) ("Xenetic"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing
About this update from Xenetic Biosciences, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"FRAMINGHAM, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 2, 2022 / Xenetic Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:XBIO) (\"Xenetic\"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing innovative immune-oncology technologies addressing hard-to-treat cancers, and VolitionRx Limited (NYSE AMERICAN:VNRX) (\"Volition\"), a multi-national epigenetics company, today announced a research and development collaboration to develop Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (\"NETs\") targeted, adoptive cell therapies for the treatment of cancer.The collaboration is an early exploratory program to evaluate the potential combination of Volition's Nu.Q® NETs Test and Xenetic's DNase-Armored CAR T platform to develop proprietary adoptive cell therapies potentially targeting multiple types of solid cancers.Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Volition will fund a research program and the two parties will share proceeds from commercialization or licensing of any products arising from the collaboration.\"Since we in-licensed the DNase-based oncology platform in April of this year, our team is intently focused on driving the technologies forward with the goal of improving outcomes of existing therapeutic agents in multiple solid tumor indications. We are pleased to enter into our first industry research and development collaboration just a few short months after acquiring the technology platform. We have gotten to know the Volition team and are impressed by their technical expertise and creativity. We are therefore very excited to advance the development of this exciting new technology with an aligned strategic partner with the capabilities of Volition,\" commented Jeffrey Eisenberg, Chief Executive Officer of Xenetic.Epigenetically modified nucleosomes are present on tumor cell surfaces and within the tumor microenvironment of multiple types of solid cancers, and thus these nucleosomes may represent generalizable tumor antigens that are not limited to a single cancer type. Volition's Nu.Q® technology can specifically recognize and target epigenetically modified nucleosomes, while Xenetic's DNase-Armored CAR T platform is designed to enhance the function of CAR T cells within solid tumor microenvironments.Jake Micallef, Volition's Chief Scientific Officer, added, \"Elevated levels of NETs are associated with poor patient outcomes in a range of diseases, such as COVID-19, sepsis an...