On 30 May 2017 4SC AG (4SC, FSE Prime Standard: VSC) reported new preclinical data that demonstrates that resminostat influences the anti-cancer response of natural killer (NK) cells – a subset of our body’s own immune cells (Press release, 4SC, MAY 30, 2017, View Source [SID1234519317]). Resminostat increases the sensitivity of cancer cells to killing by NK cells and enhances the killing activity of NK cells towards cancer cells.

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!

Roland Baumgartner, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of 4SC, explained the scientific details: "In earlier experiments we established that resminostat increased the sensitivity of cancer cells to NK cell-mediated killing. The addition of resminostat to numerous cancer cell lines induced expression of molecules such as NKG2D ligands – molecules that are specifically recognized by NK cells. In contrast to competing histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, which negatively affect the viability of NK cells, resminostat increased the proportion of NK cells in the tumor microenvironment.

We now demonstrated that treatment with resminostat enhanced the activity of NK cells. The addition of resminostat to either mixed blood cells or isolated NK cells resulted in strong activation of NK cells – measured by expression of the activation marker CD69. Furthermore, blood cells which were pre-treated with resminostat killed tumor cells more efficaciously than non-treated blood cells."

Jason Loveridge, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of 4SC, added: "These new preclinical data add another piece to our understanding of how resminostat affects the interplay between our body’s own immune system and cancer. These new insights are highly valuable and support our clinical development plans to advance resminostat to market authorization."



Oral presentation at the Cancer Immunotherapy and Combinations Congress

Svetlana Hamm, Ph.D., Head of Translational Pharmacology of 4SC, will present the scientific details at the Cancer Immunotherapy and Combinations Congress, as part of the World Preclinical Congress.
Presentation Epigenetic priming with HDAC inhibitor resminostat sensitizes cancer to NK cell based immunotherapy
Time Tuesday, 13 June 2017, 4:05 p.m. EDT
Location Westin Boston Waterfront, Boston, USA
Related articles

3 May 2017, Progress update on pivotal RESMAIN study of resminostat in CTCL at 13th Congress of the EADO

24 January 2017, Overall survival benefit for resminostat in first-line liver cancer study subgroup
Further information