Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy for B Cell Mediated Cancers

Abstract

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a targeted therapy using an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) to treat precursor B cell (pre-B) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Full Description

Antisense compounds have been used to modulate protein expression by binding to a target mRNA encoding the protein. Application of oligonucleotide-based technologies in cancer is promising but has had limited success in vivo due to the ineffective cell-targeting. Better targeting is needed to improve therapeutic efficacy of oligonucleotide-based cancer therapies in vivo.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a precursor B cell (pre-B) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell targeting compound by directly conjugating an antisense oligonucleotide with an anti-CD22 antibody. This method specifically targets a transcription factor identified to be involved in pre-B ALL cell survival. In-vivo therapeutic efficacy has been successfully tested in pre-B ALL xenograft mouse models and Reh cell line, as well as patient-derived leukemia cells. Utilizing this method also provides new opportunities to treat and target B cells associated with leukemia, lymphoma and autoimmune disorders.

Applications

• Leukemia
• B cell mediated cancers, diseases and disorders

Features/Benefits

• Targets leukemia cells
• Conjugated for antisense oligonucleotide
• Targets precursor B cells
• Monoclonal antibody

Patent Status