RhoVac initiates research collaboration with Lund University, Sweden
RhoVac AB ("RhoVac") announced today, August 21 2017, that the company has signed an agreement with Lund University on research collaboration on cancer stem cells and on the expression of the protein RhoC in these cells.
Cancer stem cells are a population of tumor cells that is not affected by treatment with conventional cancer therapy; a tumor treated with conventional therapy can result in relapse via the activation of cancer stem cells, and therefore patients often relapse in their disease. Previous research has documented that the protein RhoC, the target protein of RhoVac’s cancer vaccine product RV001, is overexpressed in cancer stem cells from a variety of cancer types such as e.g. breast cancer and head and neck cancer, but in collaboration with Lund University, RhoVac will investigate whether the protein is also overexpressed in prostate cancer stem cells.
The research group in Oncology and Pathology at Lund University (Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, with Professor Bo Baldetorp as Head of Department) works with prostate cancer stem cells focusing on understanding the biology behind resistant prostate cancer. Since cancer stem cells are thought to be responsible for tumor initiation and for the cause of treatment resistance and relapse, it is essential to be able to characterize these cancer stem cells and thus be able to develop new and better treatments for resistant prostate cancer. Previously, Dr. Jens Ceder at Lund University showed that both androgen receptor expressing and androgen receptor negative stem cell populations are found in the prostate gland's basal and luminal cell layers. The protein RhoC is interesting both in relation to the metastasis, but also in relation to cancer stem cells, and there is scientific evidence to investigate this protein's role further in relation to prostate cancer stem cells.
In the research collaboration between Lund University and RhoVac, we will first investigate whether overexpression of the protein RhoC is also seen in prostate cancer stem cells. If this is the case there is a basis for studying whether treatment with RhoVac’s cancer vaccine RV001, which focuses on eliminating metastatic cancer cells, potentially also can eliminate prostate cancer stem cells.
Comments from RhoVac´s CEO, Anders Ljungqvist
- Cooperation with the research group at Oncology and Pathology at Lund University will give RhoVac greater knowledge on cancer stem cells in general and more specifically knowledge of prostate cancer stem cells - the knowledge that will allow us to evaluate whether RhoVac’s cancer vaccine RV001 can be relevant for treatment of resistant prostate cancer by eliminating the cancer stem cells in addition to metastatic prostate cancer cells. We are looking forward to a very interesting research collaboration with Lund University.
For more information, please contact:
Anders Ljungqvist – VD, RhoVac AB
This is an English version of an original Swedish press release communicated by RhoVac AB. In case of interpretation issues or possible differences between the different versions, the Swedish version shall apply. This constitutes information that RhoVac AB is required to publish under the EU’s Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication through the above contact person on the 21 August 2017.
Phone: +45 4083 2365
E-mail: alj@rhovac.com
About RhoVac AB
RhoVac AB conducts research and development of immunotherapeutic drugs. The company's main focus is the development of a therapeutic cancer vaccine with the potential to prevent or limit metastasis in cancer. RhoVac's first drug candidate has completed pre-clinical phase and clinical phase I / II study has started spring 2017. RhoVac has its head office at Medicon Village in Lund, Sweden. The research has been conducted since 2007 primarily at the University Hospital in Herlev, Denmark, by a world-class research team in its niche. RhoVac is listed on AktieTorget, Sweden, a Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF), since March 2016 and has approximately 1,700 shareholders. The share is traded under the ticker RHOVAC. Read more at www.rhovac.com