A new diagnostic tool increases the value of Kancera´s ROR technology
2012-05-21
Kancera has, in collaboration with Professor Håkan Mellstedt’s research group at the Karolinska Institute, developed antibodies that permit the development of a diagnostic tool to identify patient response to treatment using Kancera’s ROR inhibitors.
Distinctive for these new antibodies is their selectivity between the active (phosphorylated) and inactive (non-phosphorylated) forms of ROR. The new antibodies constitute an important tool in the further development of our ROR inhibitors and potentially also a valuable diagnostic to be used in a future therapy targeting ROR.
About the ROR-project
ROR is a family of receptor tyrosine kinase receptors originally reported to be linked to fetus development and consists of two receptors, ROR1 and ROR2. Today it is also known that ROR receptors play a role also for cancer cells. It has been shown that inhibition of ROR causes certain cancer cells to eliminate themselves through apoptosis. Since ROR receptors are not present in healthy cells in adults, it is anticipated that a drug targeting ROR will selectively attack the tumor much more forcefully than healthy tissue.
Kancera’s co-founder Professor Håkan Mellstedt has shown that Kancera´s ROR inhibitors are capable of killing cancer cells originating from pancreas and as well as leukemic cells. Professor Mellstedt and other scientists have further shown that ROR is a potential therapeutic target also in prostate-, breast- and lung cancer.
About Kancera AB (publ)
Kancera is engaged in drug development that takes its start in new treatment concepts and ends with a candidate drug. Kancera is currently developing medicines for the treatment of both leukemia and solid tumors that interferes with survival signaling and nutrient metabolism within the cancer cell. Kancera is also developing stem cell-based cancer models to study the candidate molecules before testing in humans. Kancera operates in Stockholm and employs approximately 20 people. The share is traded on the NASDAQ OMX First North and the number of shareholders is about 1500. Remium AB is Certified Adviser to Kancera.
For additional information, please contact:
Thomas Olin, CEO: Tel +46 735 20 40 01
Address:
Kancera AB (publ)
Karolinska Institutet Science Park
Banvaktsvägen 22
SE 171 48 Solna
Please visit the company’s web www.kancera.com