On February 22, 2021 Therapeutic Solutions International, Inc., (OTC Markets: TSOI), reported today novel data and filing of a patent application demonstrating that StemVacs cells carrying proprietary sequences from the cancer-specific antigen Brother of the Regulator of Imprinted Sites (BORIS), were able to elicit the generation of T cells capable of selectively killing cancer stem cells (Press release, Therapeutics Solutions International, FEB 22, 2021, View Source [SID1234575405]).
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In contrast to other markers associated with cancer, BORIS is not simply a "flag" that is recognized by the immune system, but it is essential for cancer to be cancer. Dr. Thomas Ichim, Board Member of the Company, published that gene silencing of BORIS resulted in the death of cancer cells.1 National Institutes of Health Scientist Dr. Dmitri Loukinov, as well as other collaborators, published with Dr. Ichim that DNA immunization with BORIS resulted in suppression of aggressive breast cancer,2 as well as induction of T cells capable of killing glioma, leukemia, and mastocytoma.3
"Despite living in what is called the Golden Age of Immunotherapy, the majority of cancers still do not undergo substantial responses to current treatments," said Dr. James Veltmeyer, Chief Medical Officer of the Company and co-inventor of the patent application. "What is impressive about the StemVacs approach is that it can generate personalized T cells that selectively seek and destroy cancer stem cells. It is the cancer stem cells that are the ‘roots’ of the cancer. They are resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and to my knowledge the only possible way of eliminating cancer stem cells is through immunotherapy."
"Having worked in the area of cellular therapy and vaccine development, the possibility of using an allogeneic dendritic cell-based approach to ex vivo generate cancer stem cell killing T effector cells is tantalizing," said Feng Lin, MD, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of the Company. "I look forward to continuation of these studies and eventual clinical utilization."
Researchers believe current cancer treatments sometimes fail because they don’t destroy the cancer stem cells. Think of cancer as a weed: the stem cells are the root while the remaining majority of the cells are the part of the weed above ground. If you remove only the leaves but not the root, the weed will grow back. The same is true for cancer: if you do not kill the cancer stem cells, the cancer is likely to return.4
"Cellular therapy is the future of medicine," said Famela Ramos, Vice President of Business Development of the Company and co-inventor of the patent. "This demonstration that StemVacs can generate "patient specific" killer cells that can be reinfused in patients offers a new area of product development for us, as well as an ability to implement a two-punch attack on the tumor."
"At Therapeutic Solutions International we are focused on researching, patenting, and implementing the most innovative and potentially effective immunotherapies we can develop," said Timothy Dixon, President and CEO of the Company and co-inventor of the patent. "The ability to generate tailor-made killer T cells that appear to selectively target cancer stem cells provides yet another complementary cellular immunotherapy in our growing armamentarium against this terrible disease."