RE:RE:Science stuffEoganacht wrote: Hi Dawg - I think there are 2 key features to Theralase's pdt which makes it a game changer - the selective uptake of the photosensitizer by cancer cells (which, as you note below, rely on the over-expression of transferrin receptors on cancer vs normal cells) and the inducement of immunogenic cell death, which establishes antitumour immunity, so that any cancer cells, of the type destroyed, which escape the therapy are hunted down and destroyed by the patient's own immune system.
An extremely important recent paper by Dr. McFarland discusses how a new class of potent Rutherrin based photosensitizers not only destroys melanoma cells, but demonstrably induces immunogenic cell death. At the risk of being hyperbolic, a treatment based on this photosensitizer might end up being an actual cure for melanoma.
"In summary, our results show that Ru PDT (with clinically approved red light) produces clinically desired anticancer attack on melanoma via two-prongs: 1) by causing direct cytotoxicity in melanoma cells, and 2) via ICD-mediated generation of protective antitumor immunity [Figure 1b]. Such a Ru PDT-induced and non-exclusive two-pronged attack on cancers can be harnessed not only to eradicate existing cancer cells but also to establish protection against possible cancer relapse." Discovery of immunogenic cell death-inducing ruthenium-based photosensitizers for anticancer photodynamic therapy DJDawg wrote:
Just doing some random reading and found this. Likely posted before. It is an article talking about the over-expression of transferrin receptors on cancer vs normal cells. This receptor is what would take up Rutherrin based molecules preferentially and then, when activated by xray or light, cause cell death. I liked the image (link below) which showed the dramatic difference in TFR1 expression between normal and cancer cells. Makes you appreciate how powerful TLT's compounds may be in terms of targetting proliferating cancers selectively. Truly could be game changer.
https://postimg.cc/G4NNHz0V
image is from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6048407/pdf/ajcr0008-0916.pdf
It's encouraging to know this same cancer-killing mechanism of action & its resultant immune response will also play a strong role in our upcoming GBM trial.
Not only does Rutherrin effectively cross the blood-brain barrier to destroy such a deep-seated brain tumor, an earlier study published in 5/2019 by our very own Dr. Mandel, Dr. Lilge et al provided solid evidence of Rutherrin-PDT prolonging survival in a rat model. Just to refresh...the study demonstrated that Rutherrin-PDT was able to induce a healthy immune response/immune cell infiltration into orthotopic tumor cells despite the fact that these tumor cells are located in brain tissue considered to be immune-privileged (well hidden from the immune system). It was concluded that such an immune response may have significantly contributed to the observed prolonged survival.
The above study had also compared Rutherrin-PDT with ALA-PDT preclinically. Rutherrin-PDT significantly outperformed ALA-PDT in both prolonging survival & inducing an anti-GBM immune response. TLT's plan to add a personalized anti-GBM vaccine post intraoperative PDT/transcranial x-ray (or other form of external-targeted irradiation) should enhance this treatment & prolong survival even more.
Good luck & may be a good time to accumulate more TLT shares while the general markets pull back...all imo, dyodd.