On July 2, 2025 Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: TNXP) (Tonix or the Company), a fully-integrated biopharmaceutical company with marketed products and a pipeline of development candidates, reported the publication of a paper entitled, "A CXCR4 Partial Agonist, Improves Immunotherapy by Targeting Immunosuppressive Neutrophils and Cancer-Driven Granulopoiesis,"1 in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Cell, that represents a collaboration between scientists at Tonix and Columbia University’s Medical School and presents data demonstrating that treatment with murine TNX-1700 (mTNX-1700) increased survival and decreased metastases in animal models of gastric cancer (Press release, TONIX Pharmaceuticals, JUL 2, 2025, View Source [SID1234654223]). The manuscript can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/3I7Wcvu.
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"Addressing the root causes of resistance to immunotherapy in solid tumors is a hurdle for the successful application of immuno-oncology to anti-PD-1 resistant cancers," said Seth Lederman, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Tonix Pharmaceuticals. "The combination therapy of mTFF2-MSA with anti-PD1 treatment shows significant promise in reducing the ability of tumors to evade anti-PD-1 therapy in animal models. We believe the published data support further development of TNX-1700 as an approach to overcome resistance to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in the treatment of gastric cancer and other tumors."
The published studies examined mTNX-1700, which is a fusion protein of murine trefoil factor-2 (mTFF2) and murine serum albumin (MSA). The human version, TNX-1700 is a fusion protein of human TFF2 (hTFF2) and human serum albumin (HSA) that is under development for the treatment of gastric and colorectal cancers.
Dr. Lederman added, "The study showed that in several mouse models, mTNX-1700 plus anti-PD-1 shrank primary tumors, cut liver and lung metastases, and increased survival compared to anti-PD-1 alone. These data show that fine-tuned modulation of CXCR4 can dismantle neutrophil-driven immune suppression and revive checkpoint efficacy without compromising normal myelopoiesis. We are excited, through our collaboration with Columbia University, to continue studies to identify potential clinical biomarkers through preclinical models while enhancing our understanding of the relationship between the role of TFF2 in overcoming resistance to anti-PD1 therapy in the tumor microenvironment (TME)."
Immunosuppressive neutrophils, also known as polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs), are a major component in solid tumors that significantly hinder anti-tumor activity2,3. Despite being short-lived, the continuous replenishment of PMN-MDSCs from the bone marrow sustains their potent immunosuppression in the TME4. Stromal cells in the TME promote immunosuppression by recruiting MDSCs via secretion of CXCL12. Trefoil Factor 2 (TFF2), a secreted peptide of the trefoil factor family, has displayed activity as a partial agonist of CXCR45,6. The Cancer Cell publication describes data demonstrating that TFF2-MSA selectively reduces immunosuppressive neutrophils and cancer-driven granulopoiesis. Treatment with TFF2-MSA, in combination with an anti-PD1 antibody, induced robust anti-tumoral CD8+ T cell responses, inhibiting tumor invasion. This combination of the mTNX-1700 with anti-PD1 therapy has been shown to reduce tumor size and increase survival in these animal models. TFF2 reduction correlated with elevated PMN-MDSCs in gastric cancer patients, highlighting the potential negative correlation between TFF2 and PMN-MDSCs levels while promoting a T-cell rich microenvironment and inducing an increase in CD8+ T cells in the tumor.
About Trefoil Factor Family Member 2 (TFF2)
Human TFF2 is a secreted protein, encoded by the TFF2 gene in humans, that is expressed in gastrointestinal mucosa where it functions to protect and repair mucosa. TFF2 is also expressed at low levels in splenic immune cells and is now appreciated to have intravascular roles in the spleen and in the tumor microenvironment. In gastric cancer, TFF2 is epigenetically silenced, and TFF2 is suggested to be protective against cancer development through several mechanisms. Tonix is developing TNX-1700 for the treatment of gastric and colorectal cancers under a license from Columbia University. The inventor of the core technology at Columbia is Dr. Timothy Wang, who is an expert in the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis whose research has focused on the carcinogenic role of inflammation in modulating stem cell functions. Dr. Wang demonstrated that knocking out the mTFF2 gene in mice leads to faster tumor growth and that overexpression of TFF2 markedly suppresses tumor growth by curtailing the homing, differentiation, and expansion of MDSCs to allow activation of cancer-killing CD8+ T cells. He went on to show that a novel engineered form of recombinant murine TFF2 (mTFF2-CTP) had an extended half-life in vivo and was able to suppress MDSCs and tumor growth in an animal model of colorectal cancer. Later, he showed in gastric cancer models that suppressing MDSCs using chemotherapy enhances the effectiveness of anti-PD1 therapy and significantly reduces tumor growth. Dr. Wang proposed the concept of employing recombinant TFF2 in combination with other therapies in cancer prevention and early treatment.