Research lead
Scientists at the Department of Gene Therapy and Hepatology of the Centre for Applied Medical Research of the University of Navarra, Spain, have discovered a molecule they believe could be effective in treating chronic hepatitis and liver cancer.
When people suffer a viral infection, dendritic cells, produced as a response of the immune system to foreign agents, release type I interferon. The researchers observed that dendritic cells also produced Oncostatin M. “What was remarkable was the evidence that Oncostatin improved the effect of interferon in inhibiting the replication of viruses as well as noticeably increasing the antiviral response of the immune system,” said Jesús Prieto, one of the researchers.
The findings suggest that the combination of both molecules may be useful for treating viral diseases that do not respond to isolated treatment with interferon, something which occurs in patients with viral B or C chronic hepatitis. “In addition, it is possible that this combination could be effective for designing strategies against different tumor processes in which conventional therapy is unsuccessful,” said Prieto.
The Center for Applied Medical Research has patented the combined formulation of type I interferon and Oncostatin for oncology treatment and antiviral therapy. It is currently being advanced further in clinical development by the Spanish biotech Digna Biotech, the technology transfer arm of the University of Navarra, which aims to outlicense its products for onward commercialisation.
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