Development of a cancer therapy using lytic peptidomimetics

Lytix Biopharma AS (Lytix) works with small synthetic peptides / peptidomimetica derived from primary amino acid sequences from Lactoferrin and that selectively kills cells by disrupting cell membranes. This application for grant concerns the use of the se peptides within cancer treatment where a selected subset of these peptides have made the following surprising findings: * Primary effect. Full regression/growth inhibition of subcutaneous tumours after a primary local treamtent in vivo in mice. * Se condary effect. The primary treatment resulted in the animals becoming resistant to regrowth of a tumour after reinoculation. The effect seems to be systemic, specific for each type of tumour, and dependent on an intact immune system. Also, the ability to reject tumours can be transferred to other animals by intravenous injection of spleen-cell suspensions (transfer of tumour specific immunity from treated mice to irradiated naive mice; adoptive transfer). The following national and international resea rch groups are involved/wish to participate in this research project: * Prof. Hans Vogel (Universitetet of Calgary): map correlations between cytotoxic effect and membrane components in the tumour cells. * Prof. P. Kogners (Karolinska Institutet): stud y the effect of Lytix-peptides in a neuroblastoma xenograft-model. * Prof. Ronald Levy (Stanford University) and Arne Kolstad (Norwegian Cancer Hospital, DNR): detail the mechanisms underlying observed primary and secondary effects, combination studies with Lytix peptides and other established regimens of immunotherapy. Lytix now enters a critical R&D path where we together with Stanford and DNR relatively soon will initiate testing of a selected lead candidate molecule on lymphoma patients. A succe ssful development for this cancer project will possibly mean an important innovative step for Lytix, a start-up that has proven its ability to run relatively challenging exploratory and R&D projects.