CRT(Cancer Research Technology) granted Pharminox on 13th October 2009 an exclusive worldwide licence over its programme targeting telomeres and telomerase - the enzyme that is responsible for maintaining them.
Telomeres are the repeat sequences of DNA and associated proteins found at the ends of chromosomes, which act as ‘protective shields’ to maintain chromosomal integrity. In normal cells, these shields get smaller each time a cell divides, until they reach a critically short length at which point the cell stops dividing and ultimately dies. In most cancer cells, however, the part of the telomere lost in cell division is restored by the telomerase enzyme, allowing the cells to continue to divide - effectively rendering them immortal.
Telomerase is thought to be expressed in around 90 per cent of tumours, but telomerase activity is barely detectable in normal tissues - making this enzyme an important target for cancer drug development.
Professor Malcolm Stevens OBE, FRS from the University of Nottingham, who led the original research programme, and who will continue to be involved in the project in his role as chief scientific officer at Pharminox, said: “Telomeres act in the same way as the little plastic caps on the ends of our shoelaces, protecting our chromosomes from fraying. The compounds that we have discovered appear to have a dual mechanism of action: they not only prevent telomerase from replacing the telomeric DNA lost in cell division, but they are also able to disrupt the protective cap around the telomere itself, thereby inducing cell damage and exerting a more rapid anti-tumour effect."
Posted on Wednesday 27th January 2010