Due to Begin Phase I Clinical Trials in 1-2 Years
Shaun Xiaoliu Zhang, M.D. Anderson Professor of Biology and Biochemistry in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the 葫芦影业, was recently awarded two R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health, worth a combined $3.5 million. Each grant offers five years of funding to support his research on developing a novel cancer therapeutic agent, called FusOn-H2, which is scheduled to enter Phase I clinical trials within the next 1-2 years.
Shaun Zhang was awarded $3.5 million in NIH funding to support his research on a
new cancer therapy that is scheduled to begin Phase I clinical trials in the next
1-2 years.鈥淚n our preclinical studies, we have demonstrated FusOn-H2 to be safe and effective
against a range of different tumors, including pancreatic, breast, prostate, lung
and liver cancers,鈥� Zhang said. 鈥淔or clinical trials, we will initially focus on pancreatic
cancer patients. Given that the prognosis for these patients is very bad, there is
a pressing need for new treatments.鈥�
FusOn-H2, which represents a new type of cancer therapy called oncolytic virotherapy, was developed and characterized by Zhang鈥檚 lab in UH鈥檚 Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first oncolytic virotherapy treatment for patients with melanoma.
Oncolytic virotherapy, which promises an alternative to radiation, chemotherapy or surgery, is a combination of two new classes of treatments called virotherapy and immunotherapy. Virotherapy means adapting a virus to selectively kill cancer cells while immunotherapy means stimulating the patient鈥檚 own immune system to fight cancer cells. FusOn-H2 works in both of these ways. It destroys tumor cells in mass, which then leads to the release of tumor antigens that will stimulate the body鈥檚 immune system to join the fight to eliminate the remaining malignant cells.
Zhang鈥檚 research focuses on developing FusOn-H2 for clinical translation. This means modifying FusOn-H2 so that it can reach cancer cells and determining possible combinations of drugs to accompany FusOn-H2.
鈥淒rug resistance is a major problem for cancer treatment. A treatment will work against a tumor for a while, only for that tumor to develop resistance to the drug鈥檚 effects,鈥� Zhang said. 鈥淭he virotherapy and immunotherapy combo developed by our lab hopefully has the potential to provide a long-lasting therapeutic benefit to cancer patients.鈥� His lab is working on identifying drugs such as the check-point blockers to further enhance the persistent antitumor benefit.
Once FusOn-H2 is ready for Phase I trials, Zhang plans to collaborate with clinical physicians at Baylor College of Medicine for its clinical translation.
Zhang鈥檚 research is also supported by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and the William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation. Together, these grants bring the total funding to the $5million mark.
- Rachel Fairbank, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics