Project description
A new plasma membrane-modulating drug against pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer with high metastatic potential and extremely dismal prognosis. Despite years of research, available treatments are limited. The EU-funded PANC561 project plans to test the LAM561 bioactive molecule in cell and animal models of pancreatic cancer, alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs. LAM561 is a synthetic derivative of oleic acid and can change the composition of the plasma membrane, activating downstream signalling pathways and causing cell death. It has already shown promising results (high safety and efficacy) in the treatment of glioblastoma in humans (clinical trials), and the preclinical evaluation in pancreatic cancer will open new treatment opportunities.
Objective
Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive type of cancer, with poor prognosis and few effective therapeutic options. At the time of diagnosis only 20% of patients are eligible for surgery, the development of metastasis has already occurred. The life expectancy of these patients is 6-11 months (stage3) or 2-6 months (stage IV). Laminar Pharmaceuticals SL is pioneer in the development of bioactive molecules that act through modulation of the lipid composition of the cell membrane regulating key signaling pathways for different pathologies, including cancer.
Recently, Laminar Pharma has demonstrated the high safety and promising efficacy of its most advanced drug in clinical development, LAM561 which is being developed for the treatment of glioblastoma. The clinical study phase IIb/III of LAMP561 in glioblastoma, which evaluates the pharmacological safety of LP561 in combination with the standard treatment for this disease, is currently being completed, without observed severe adverse effects attributable to LAM561.
The current project aims to carry out a preclinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the anti-tumor drug LAM561 in cell and animal models of pancreatic cancer as monotherapy or in combination with standard chemotherapeutics. In addition, the study of cell migration in cell and animal models of pancreatic cancer may allow to explore the antimetastatic effect of LP561 pancreatic cancer, opening a new line of development in the company. This project aims to expand the product indications by including data on its safety and efficacy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer which requires urgent solutions.
Therefore, the completion of the preclinical study would allow, at the end of the proposed studies, to launch human clinical trials to give pancreatic cancer patients the option of benefiting from this therapy more quickly. Furthermore, this represents a great opportunity which may foster the carrier of the current applicant researcher.
Fields of science
Not validated
Not validated
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinesurgery
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugs
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepathology
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologypancreatic cancer
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
07121 PALMA DE MALLORCA
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.