In the 12 years since its inception, Leukogene Therapeutics Inc. has had one goal: to take an idea from the academic lab into the real world where it can benefit patients.
With a new cancer vaccine platform designed to stimulate the immune system and attack cancer, Leukogene offers a therapeutic solution for acute myelogenous leukemia, or AML, and pancreatic cancer. And while it is currently in the preclinical phase, Nathan Dolloff, Ph.D., founder and chief scientific officer of the company, as well as a researcher for the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, said that with the right strategic partner, they could be ready for clinical trials in 18 months.
Current treatment for AML and pancreatic cancer relies on chemotherapy drugs, which can have bad side effects and often don’t extend a patient’s life significantly in these cancers. Newer immunotherapy drugs have revolutionized the treatment of some cancer types but are largely ineffective in others like AML and pancreatic cancer.
Leukogene aims to fill the gap in treatment options with its cancer vaccine. By directing immune cells to attack specific proteins on malignant cancer cells as if they were foreign antigens, the vaccine harnesses the natural power of the body’s immune system and redirects it.
Results from preclinical studies in mice have Dolloff excited for the vaccine’s clinical future. “We’ve seen some remarkable anti-tumor effects in the lab,” he said. “And in some cases, we’re even curing mice in certain tumor models where that’s really difficult to do.”
Full story: Cancer vaccine ready for commercialization as part of growing MUSC startup community | MUSC | Charleston, SC
