BLOOMFIELD, N.J., April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alfacell Corporation today announced that in vivo and in vitro preclinical data presented in a poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting show that ONCONASE (ranpirnase) significantly inhibits tumor growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast cancer cells.
In the poster titled "Increased apoptosis and reduced lactate levels by ranpirnase in human lung and breast cancer", Intae Lee, Ph.D. and collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania demonstrated that ONCONASE significantly inhibited tumor growth by inducing apoptosis (cell death) in A549 and NCI-H1975 human NSCLC cells and MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells without damaging non-cancerous cells such as HLF-1 human lung fibroblast and NCI/3T3 fibroblast. Additionally, the data indicated that twice weekly injections of ONCONASE were more effective than an equivalent single dose injection in these tumor types.
"The findings of our investigation suggest important potential clinical uses of ONCONASE for the treatment of NSCLC and breast cancer," said Dr. Lee.
Kuslima Shogen, Alfacell's chairman and chief executive officer, added: "This research adds to the extensive published data that supports our continued development of ONCONASE for multiple cancer indications. The ONCONASE franchise includes the gateway indication of malignant mesothelioma and several other tumor types for which we are continuing preclinical and clinical studies."
About ONCONASE(R)
ONCONASE is a first-in-class therapeutic product candidate based on Alfacell's proprietary ribonuclease (RNase) technology. A natural protein isolated from the leopard frog, ONCONASE has been shown in the laboratory and clinic to target cancer cells while sparing normal cells. ONCONASE triggers apoptosis, the natural death of cells, via multiple molecular mechanisms of action.
About Alfacell Corporation
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Alfacell Corporation
