On June 22, 2026 bioAffinity Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIAF; BIAFW), a biotechnology company advancing early-stage cancer diagnostics and targeted therapeutics, reported it will present preclinical findings for a novel therapeutic approach that uses small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that kill squamous and basal skin cancer cells in vitro while leaving non-cancerous skin cells unharmed.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
The newly released findings support the Company’s efforts to develop topical treatments for squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma, two of the most common forms of skin cancer. An estimated 5.4 million cases of these skin cancers are diagnosed every year in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. Although surgery is the standard treatment, many patients require additional intervention because of incomplete resection, in which all of the cancerous tissue is not removed, or the risk of recurrence. To date, there is no commercial topical siRNA therapy specifically indicated for basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma.
David J. Elzi, PhD, bioAffinity Technologies Vice President of Product Development, will present the Company’s research at the 2026 RNA Therapeutics (RNATx) Symposium. RNATx brings together researchers, biotech/pharma, clinicians and industry focused on RNA therapeutics, oligonucleotides, mRNA, siRNA, gene editing and translational medicine.
"Basal cell and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas are among the most common cancers we treat," said surgical oncologist Rosa Cuenca, MD, who is not affiliated with bioAffinity Technologies. "Unfortunately, surgical removal is not always the end of the story. A topical therapeutic that selectively targets malignant cells while preserving healthy skin could potentially expand our treatment options, particularly for patients with recurrent lesions or cosmetically sensitive tumors."
The research builds on earlier findings showing that siRNA silencing of two specific cell surface receptors, CD320 and LRP2, impaired cell viability across multiple cancer cell lines in vitro – including lung, breast, prostate, brain, and skin cancer – while sparing healthy primary cells. That discovery is the subject of U.S. Patent No. 12,305,171, "Compositions and Methods for Treating Cancer," issued in 2025.
"Our in vitro findings indicate that silencing specific cell surface receptors was selectively cytotoxic to or impaired the proliferation of squamous skin cancer cells while leaving normal skin cells unaffected," Dr. Elzi said. "The selectivity observed in these preclinical studies suggests the potential for further development of noninvasive, targeted topical approaches for common cutaneous cancers, subject to further research and regulatory review."
"Our preclinical results represent an encouraging step toward developing less-invasive treatments for some of the most common cancers affecting patients today," said Gordon Downie, MD, PhD, bioAffinity Technologies Chief Medical Officer. "This research reinforces our innovative approach to cancer treatments and expands our mission to improve cancer outcomes by developing technologies designed to detect and treat cancer earlier and more precisely."
In the in vitro study, researchers synthesized siRNAs targeting specific cell receptors and transfected them into squamous and basal skin cancer cell lines and non-cancerous skin cells. Non-cancerous skin cells were unaffected by silencing the receptors, while squamous and basal skin cancer cell proliferation was significantly impaired. Microscopic analysis corroborated these findings, demonstrating cancer cell cytotoxicity following treatment without observable harm to healthy cells. These results were obtained in controlled laboratory conditions and may not be predictive of results in human clinical trials. The Company’s preclinical findings have not been tested in humans, and no Investigational New Drug (IND) application has been filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
About the Research
The poster, "siRNAs targeting CD320 and LRP2 are selectively cytotoxic to squamous skin cancer cells while leaving normal skin cells unharmed," will be presented at RNATx 2026 June 24-26 hosted by the RNA Therapeutics Institute at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA.
About CyPath Lung
CyPath Lung by bioAffinity Technologies is a noninvasive test designed to improve the early detection of lung cancer in patients at high risk for the disease. CyPath Lung uses advanced flow cytometry and proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) to identify cell populations in patient sputum that indicate malignancy. CyPath Lung incorporates a fluorescent porphyrin that is preferentially taken up by cancer and cancer-related cells. In a published clinical trial of high-risk patients, CyPath Lung demonstrated 92% sensitivity, 87% specificity, 88% accuracy and 99% negative predictive value (NPV) in detecting lung cancer in patients at high risk for the disease who had small indeterminate lung nodules less than 20 millimeters. The high NPV gives physicians greater confidence that a negative result is truly negative, potentially sparing patients from unnecessary invasive and costly procedures. CyPath Lung is marketed as a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) and is not intended for use as a sole diagnostic tool and should be considered alongside other clinical findings.
(Press release, BioAffinity Technologies, JUN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234668899])