CHS Resources will develop and ultimately commercialize patent pending technology for the treatment of skin cancer. The technology was discovered by Dr Herbert Weissbach, director of the Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, in conjunction with colleagues at the university.
The university’s researchers will continue to conduct scientific studies related to this research project, and CHS Resources will pursue business and commercialization opportunities.
Initial experiments in Dr Weissbach’s laboratory were attempting to determine if cells could be protected from oxidative damage (damage to cells caused by oxidants or chemicals that capture electrons from other substances). What Dr Weissbach and researchers at Florida Atlantic University serendipitously discovered was a novel combination of agents that work synergistically and selectively to target and kill cancer cells while preserving normal cells.
To examine whether this biological effect was a general phenomenon with cancer cells, Dr Weissbach and his team conducted additional experiments with lung cancer cells, colon cancer cells, skin cancer cells and a melanoma cell line. Results of these experiments showed that all of the cancer cell lines that were used exhibited a similar response of enhanced killing of cancer cells, but normal cells were not affected.
“While cancer represents a collection of distinct diseases, oxidative damage stands out as one of the most likely culprits for cellular damage and therefore may be a major contributor to many cancers,” said Dr Weissbach. “Furthermore, recent scientific studies suggest that malignant cells have a different response to oxidative stress than normal cells. Our team has identified a lead compound that in combination with an oxidizing agent or agent that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) preferentially targets and kills cancer cells.”