Study shows Calando technology effective against cancer

The results of the study, published in the October issue of Cancer Research, demonstrate that Calando’s proprietary delivery technology can deliver short interfering RNA (siRNA) to targeted cancer cells and inhibit tumor growth in mice by silencing the target gene.

In addition to serving as a potentially powerful new tool in the fight against a wide range of cancers, Calando’s delivery system might also be used to treat a number of other diseases.

“Although the discovery of the siRNA mechanism has been heralded as a major breakthrough, using siRNA therapeutics to attack diseases and conditions that can only be treated systemically in an effective way has been problematic,” said R Bruce Stewart, president of Calando’s parent company, Arrowhead Research.

Caltech and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles investigators using Calando’s delivery technology performed experiments on a mouse model of Ewing’s sarcoma, a deadly form of metastatic cancer. One group of mice received a targeted formulation of siRNA and Calando’s proprietary delivery technology and other control groups received either no treatment, or various combinations of correct and incorrect siRNA sequences, with and without Calando’s proprietary delivery technology and tumor-targeting ligands.

The data show that only the targeted formulation of the correct siRNA sequence and Calando’s delivery technology provided any anti-tumor efficacy. Additionally, the data demonstrate that Calando’s technology does not result in physiological abnormalities or produce an immune response.

“In light of these results and our experience working with these nanomaterials at Insert, we expect a quick path to human clinical trials for Calando,” Mr Stewart said.