8
JULY, 2009
RESEARCHERS
DISCOVER THAT PHENOXODIOL KILLS RAPIDLY PROLIFERATING T-CELLS
Novogen
Limited’s subsidiary, Marshall Edwards, Inc., (NASDAQ: MSHL) has just made the
following announcement.
New
Canaan, Connecticut 7 July, 2009 - Researchers at the Malaghan
Institute of Medical Research in Wellington, New Zealand, have found that
abnormally proliferating human T-cells, rapidly dividing cancer cells such as
primary myeloid and lymphoid leukemic blast cells undergo programmed cell death
when exposed briefly to the investigational anti-tumour drug
phenoxodiol.
These
results make phenoxodiol a promising candidate for the treatment of
pathologically-activated lymphocytes such as those in acute lymphoid leukaemia,
or diseases driven by T-cell proliferation such as autoimmune diseases and
graft-versus-host disease, according to an article published in the
Haematologica Journal on June 16, 2009,
http://www.haematologica.org/cgi/reprint/94/7/928
.
The
researchers demonstrated that phenoxodiol inhibited plasma membrane electron
transport and cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis of rapidly proliferating
human T-cells, induced to undergo rapid proliferation by exposure to cells from
an incompatible donor, but at the same time it did not affect normal resting
T-cells.
“These
findings indicate that phenoxodiol may have utility against autoimmune diseases,
such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, as well as having potential in
management of graft rejection in transplantation patients” said Prof. Alan
Husband, Group Director of Research, Marshall Edwards, Inc. “We’re
appreciative of Dr Patries Herst and colleagues for undertaking this important
research.”
About
phenoxodiol
Phenoxodiol
is being developed by the US oncology company Marshall Edwards, Inc. (NASDAQ:
MSHL) as a chemosensitising agent in combination with platinum drugs for late
stage, chemoresistant ovarian cancer and as a monotherapy for prostate and
cervical cancers. It has a unique mechanism of action, binding to
cancer cells via a surface oxidase, disrupting membrane electron transport and
causing major downstream disturbances in expression of proteins necessary for
cancer cell survival and responsible for the development of drug
resistance.
In cancer
cells, phenoxodiol appears to inhibit selectively the pro-survival regulator
known as S-1-P (sphingosine-1-phosphate) that is over-expressed in cancer
cells. In response to phenoxodiol, the S-1-P content in cancer cells
is decreased, rendering those cells more sensitive to
chemotherapy. Indeed, in laboratory studies, it has been demonstrated
that cancer cells pre-treated with phenoxodiol were killed with lower doses of
chemotherapy drugs.
Importantly,
phenoxodiol has been shown not to affect adversely normal cells in animal and
laboratory testing. Phenoxodiol is being investigated as a therapy
for late-stage, chemoresistant ovarian, prostate and cervical
cancers. Phenoxodiol has received Fast Track status from the FDA to
facilitate its development as a therapy for recurrent ovarian and prostate
cancers. Phenoxodiol is an investigational drug and, as such, is not
commercially available. Under U.S. law, a new drug cannot be marketed until it
has been investigated in clinical trials and approved by FDA as being safe and
effective for the intended use.
Phenoxodiol
is the first of a family of compounds in the Marshall Edwards, Inc. drug
pipeline of flavanoid derivatives.
About
Marshall Edwards, Inc.
Marshall
Edwards, Inc. is a specialist oncology company focused on the clinical
development of novel anti-cancer therapeutics. These derive from a
flavonoid technology platform, which has generated a number of novel compounds
characterised by broad ranging activity against a range of cancer cell types
with few side effects. The combination of anti-tumour cell activity
and low toxicity is believed to be a result of the ability of these compounds to
target an enzyme present in the cell membrane of cancer cells, thereby
inhibiting the production of pro-survival proteins within the
cell. Marshall Edwards has licensed rights from Novogen Limited (ASX:
NRT NASDAQ: NVGN) to bring three oncology drugs - phenoxodiol, triphendiol and
NV-143 - to market globally.
Marshall
Edwards is majority owned by Novogen (ASX: NRT, NASDAQ: NVGN), an Australian
biotechnology company that is specialising in the development of therapeutics
based on a flavonoid technology platform. Novogen is developing a
range of therapeutics across the fields of oncology, cardiovascular disease and
inflammatory diseases. More information on phenoxodiol and on the
Novogen group of companies can be found at
www.marshalledwardsinc.com
and
www.novogen.com
.
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clinical trials and approved by the FDA as being safe and effective for the
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