Bionomics targets throat cancer

Adelaide’s Bionomics has presented data at this week’s American Association for Cancer Research conference in Denver showing its lead compound has dual anti-tumour effects in throat cancer.

The compound, BNC105, is a vascular disrupting agent that Bionomics is trialling in animal models of head and neck, brain, prostate, breast, colon and lung cancer.

In an animal model of throat cancer, BNC105 was able to kill cancer cells directly as well as disrupting the blood supply to advanced tumours.

It is also an effective combination with radiation therapy, and seems to ameliorate radiation-induced tumour ulceration.

In lung cancer, the compound also showed efficacy as a monotherapy and in combination with cisplatin in treating lung cancer.

Also at the meeting, US giant Celera presented data describing a new mass spectrometry technique to identify and validate six protein biomarkers to detect non-small cell lung cancer.

The company is developing an immunoassay based on the six biomarkers with the aim of detecting lung cancer from blood serum.

The company said the panel of biomarkers was able to detect lung cancers with 94 per cent sensitivity and 93 per cent specificity, as well as being able to distinguish between malignant and benign cancers.

The researchers also used similar methodology to look at pancreatic and colorectal cancers. Celera is currently validating the findings in a clinical setting and is exploring the commercial possibilities.