WOONSOCKET, R.I., Aug. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MultiCell
Technologies, Inc. (OTC: MCET) has been issued U.S. patent
8,809,290 covering novel drug compositions and platform
technologies which redirect the immune system response to protect
against highly virulent virus infection and cancer. These
novel drug compositions consisting of noncoding doubled stranded
RNA (dsRNA) molecules and recombinant immunoglobulin-peptide (IgP)
molecules demonstrate unique immune stimulating activity, and the
ability to present peptide antigens to immune cells resulting in
protective anti-tumoral and anti-viral immunity.
In mouse cancer models, the combination of MCT-465, a dsRNA
therapeutic, and MCT-475, an IgP therapeutic, not only induced the
animal's immune system to eradicate the engrafted tumor, but upon
rechallenge with tumor cells, no new tumors developed indicating
the animal had developed protective anti-tumoral immunity.
Tumor rejection and protection against similar and new tumor
variants was found to also be associated with specific, overall
expansion of cytokine producing cells. This finding indicates
a broadening of the repertoire of anti-tumor immune cells and the
development of immune memory in the animal.
Mice immunized with MCT-465 and MCT-475 resulted in the priming
of an immune response capable of limiting the replication of virus
subsequent to further virus infectious challenge. During
viral infection, specific immune system cells begin to proliferate
and differentiate which defines the adaptive immune response to the
infection. In mouse models, administration of MCT-465 and
MCT-475 greatly enhanced the generation of interferon gamma (IFNγ)
and interleukin-2 (IL-2) producing virus antigen-specific T-cells
resulting in significantly reduced virus levels present in the
animal.
MultiCell is developing MCT-465 and MCT-475 for the treatment of
hepatitis B virus infection and hepatitis C virus infection, and
for the treatment of certain cancers.
Chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C virus infection are
recognized as major factors worldwide that increase the risk of
hepatocellular carcinoma. According to the U.S. National
Cancer Institute (NCI), chronic hepatitis B virus infection and
chronic hepatitis C virus infection account for about 30% to 40% of
all reported USA cases of
hepatocellular carcinoma.
Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of
primary liver cancer, represents a major unmet medical
need. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a leading cause of
cancer death worldwide, and is the fourth most common cancer in the
world. Over 1 million cases of hepatocellular carcinoma are
reported annually worldwide. Current approaches for treatment
of hepatocellular carcinoma are of limited efficacy.
According to the NCI, only 16% of patients diagnosed with primary
liver cancer survive longer than 5 years.
MultiCell is also developing MCT-485, a very small dsRNA
therapeutic, thought to target cancer by delivering a cytotoxic
effect to only those cells having the highest tumor initiating
capability that are part of the cancerous process such as cancer
stem cells and tumor initiating cells. MCT-485 appears to
have no effect on cells not directly involved in the process of
relapse, progression and metastasis of cancer. MCT-485
appears to exert a preferential biological activity on liver cancer
cells while showing no effect on normal liver cells.
About MultiCell Technologies, Inc.
MultiCell Technologies, Inc. is a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics and
discovery tools for the treatment of primary multiple
sclerosis-related fatigue and cancer. For more information
about MultiCell Technologies, please visit
http://www.multicelltech.com.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements in this press release about MultiCell's
expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future
events or performance are not historical facts and are
forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). These statements
are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases
such as "believe", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate",
"intend", "plan", "forecast", "could", and "would". MultiCell bases
these forward- looking statements on current expectations about
future events. They involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results, levels
of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from
those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement.
Some of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause
actual results to differ materially from estimates or projections
in the forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to,
the risk that we might not achieve our anticipated clinical
development milestones, receive regulatory approval, or
successfully commercialize our products as expected, the market for
our products will not grow as expected, and the risk that our
products will not achieve expectations. For additional
information about risks and uncertainties MultiCell faces, see
documents that MultiCell files with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including MultiCell's report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended November 30, 2013,
and all of MultiCell's quarterly and other periodic SEC
filings. MultiCell claims the protection of the safe harbor
for forward-looking statements under the Act and assumes no
obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update any
forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after
the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of
subsequent events.
SOURCE MultiCell Technologies, Inc.