
Harnessing the Therapeutics within
Harnessing the
Therapeutics within
The Power of our own Immune Systems Against Cancer
“How could science solve the
problem of cancers evading the immune system? How could medicine “teach” our immune cells to
better fight cancers?
Dr. James P. Allison, a leader in immuno-oncology research and monoclonal
antibody therapies, once put out a bold
statement on the treatment of cancer: “I proposed treating cancer by ignoring it”, he declared,
“instead, treat the
immune system” (as quoted in Neil Canavan’s A Cure Within).
Following Allison’s
sentiment, cancer research needs to join forces with immunology now more than ever, in the new,
groundbreaking field of immuno-oncology (IO). Then, armed with the phenomenal disease-fighting
power of the immune
system, researchers can wage war against destructive cancers and finally deliver what we can
confidently call a “cure”
for cancer.
Early Challenges Faced on the Way to Modern IO
Humanity has employed the power of the immune system for over two
centuries, since the invention of the smallpox vaccine
by the historically famous Edward Jenner at the turn of the 19th century. In that age, a simple
lack of understanding of
cells and disease held back further development of immunotherapies. The discovery of immune
cells surveilling for cancer
would not arrive until more than a century later
Scientists have since discovered new
ways to harness the immune system and improve the health of humanity. Today, they
can tap into a deep understanding of how this system actually works, information the
contemporaries of Edward Jenner had
no access to. Consequently, immunology advances every year in the modern age, creating new
possibilities of how immune
cells might work to medicine’s advantage.
Importantly, scientists have discovered that
immune cells not only attack bacteria and viruses, but have programs to
kill malignant cancer cells as well. Unfortunately, the imperfection of these programs means
that millions still die of
cancers that work around the immune system’s cancer detection protocols.
And so, new challenges presented themselves: How could science solve the
problem of cancers evading the immune system?
How could medicine teach our immune cells to better
fight cancers?
The field of immuno-oncology arose to face these problems. Pioneers in IO
have discovered ways to utilize the strengths
of the immune system to exploit the weaknesses of cancer cells in ways not possible with last
century’s cancer
therapeutics. This field remains our best hope in finding the elusive “cure” for cancer.
IO Advancements in Modern Biotechnology
In the 21st century, science embraces a mindset of synergy. Biotechnology
joins the strengths of modern technology with
those of biology, bioinformatics combines theories of life science with computer science; the
list could go on.
Breakthroughs emerge at the cross-sections of different sciences, as the concepts in one field
can benefit another. This
idea lies at the core of modern immuno-oncology, itself a combination of immune biology and
oncology. The field has
revolutionized the development of cancer treatments with the integration of cutting-edge
technologies and novel research
discoveries across life science.
Thanks to the application of contemporary tech and scientific knowledge, today’s biotech market
boasts a wide array of
companies and start-ups working to perfect the most promising of cancer immunotherapies. Some IO
developers, for
instance, have utilized monoclonal antibodies, produced by the immune systems cells, to inhibit
the proteins that can
keep the immune system from attacking tumors. In America, biotech powerhouse Bristol Myers Squibb has developed their
promising drug relatlimab to harness the full potential of this mechanism. Thus far, it has
shown quite positive
clinical results. BMS has also acquired companies making similar therapeutics, such as Medarex,
the developer of
successful monoclonal antibody drug iplimumab (YERVOY).
The modern biotech industry has also introduced cancer vaccines, a fascinating twist on a
familiar technology that has
created its own success stories. Biotech company Dendreon, for example, took off with their lead product Provenge
(sipuleucel-T), a prostate cancer vaccine shown to improve prognosis in resistant cases.
Pioneers Creating Cancer’s New Medicine
At NODES, we have had the privilege of collaborating with a true
trailblazer in the synergistic field of
immuno-oncology. One of our clients, BioEclipse
Therapeutics, has developed an innovative approach to battling cancers with the weapons of
the immune system. R&D at BioEclipse has pioneered a new cancer therapeutic, under
the identifier CRX100. This treatment harnesses the ability of the immune
system to find cancers,
and arms its cells with a powerful new weapon: a cancer-killing virus, designed to destroy tumor
cells. This technology
could restore hope for many cancer patients, especially those with recurring cases of cancer.
The revolutionary biotechnology of
CRX100 began with ground-breaking research conducted at Stanford
University. Here, researchers proved first that immune cells could “efficiently deliver
oncolytic viral therapies to their tumor
targets”, and in a later paper, that these virus-armed cells could even do so in cases of
cancers with pre-existing
resistance. These critical findings became the backbone of BioEclipse’s CRX100 dual
immunotherapy.
The company’s preclinical and clinical trials of CRX100 have since shown great
promise for the therapeutic’s effectiveness against stubborn cancers. Preclinical
trials first proved CRX100’s potency against a wide variety of cancer types. More recently,
clinical trials demonstrated
that the treatment could work safely in human patients. With these successful results, CRX100
continues onward in
development towards becoming a new leader in cancer treatment.
RELEVANT INSIGHTS
Challenges Remain to be Overcome
Many daunting roadblocks still lie in the path of immunotherapies to
becoming the ultimate cancer-killing powerhouses
they will certainly be. Each novel immunotherapy conceived of must overcome an obstacle course
of hurdles and red tape
to become a usable treatment against cancer. These obstacles most often take the forms of lack
of efficacy, unforeseen
side effects, and resistance to treatments, as seen in the trials of many promising
drugs.
Ambitious start-ups in the last decade have attempted to re-engineer the immune system’s cells
to target cancers in
pursuit of cures. Inevitably, though, some have faced the harsh realities of dangerous side
effects in trials bringing
their progress to a screeching halt. Consequently, many of the most promising immunotherapies
for cancer became stuck in
the trial phase.
The Medarex company’s now successful ipilimumab drug faced such drawbacks in its development,
showing side effects and
sometimes failing to produce results. Even with setbacks, the pioneers at these companies facing
the challenges of
developing cancer immunotherapies proved they could push onward, re-working their therapeutics
for new clinical trials.
“We at NODES believe in
the value of the grueling uphill battles fought to bring life- saving immunotherapies to
market
despite these challenges. For all the frustrations faced to prove the safety and efficacy of
new therapeutics, the
rewarding end of a successful treatment proves the effort worth the fight. We look forward to
supporting the revolutionary breakthroughs in
medicine that immuno-oncology will undoubtedly bring in years to come.