Alfacell's ONCONASE(R) Targets siRNA : Paper in Cell Cycle

Oct. 9, 2008- Alfacell Corporation (Nasdaq: ACEL) announced that a paper published in Cell Cycle (2008; Vol. 7, Issue 20) reports that ONCONASE (ranpirnase) targets small interfering RNA (siRNA), likely within the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) of the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism.

The paper is the result of research conducted by collaborators at the Brander Cancer Research Institute and Department of Pathology at New York Medical College and Alfacell. The study demonstrated that silencing the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene (an abundant and ubiquitously expressed housekeeping gene) in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells by siRNA was effectively prevented by ONCONASE. While transfection of cells with GAPDH siRNA reduced expression of this protein by nearly 70 percent, the expression was restored in the cells exposed to ONCONASE for 48 or 72 hours. The data thus provide evidence that one of the targets of ONCONASE (ranpirnase) is siRNA... Alfacell's Press Release -

Alfacell : Novel Combination of Alfacell's ONCONASE(R) and Rosiglitazone Induces a Synergistic Apoptotic Effect in Several Cancer Cell Lines

July 21, 2008 - Alfacell Corporation (Nasdaq: ACEL) announced that a paper published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (2008; 7(7):1871-9) reports that a combination of ONCONASE (ranpirnase) and the thiazolidinedione antidiabetic drug rosiglitazone shows a promising effect for cancers with increased expression of PI3K-dependent Fra-1 expression or Survivin.

The paper is the result of NIH-funded in vitro research conducted at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vt., investigating two known phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) downstream proteins, Fra-1 and Survivin, as potential targets for cancer therapy. The study demonstrated that the combination of ONCONASE and rosiglitazone synergistically decreased cell viability and increased cell apoptosis in several cancer cell lines, including lung, breast, prostate and ovarian, due to decreased Fra-1 and Survivin expression. The results also suggest that combined therapeutic use may overcome the resistance produced in some cancer cells by the activation of survival pathways and their targets. The study concludes the novel drug combination of ONCONASE and rosiglitazone is a promising combination... Alfacell's Press Release -

Alfacell's ONCONASE : Potential as Radiation Sensitizer for Lung Cancer Treatment

April 14, 2008 - Alfacell Corporation (NASDAQ:ACEL) announced that Dr. Intae Lee with the University of Pennsylvania has reported that Alfacell's ONCONASE (ranpirnase) could be a promising radiation sensitizer for lung cancer treatment. Dr. Lee presented the pre-clinical in vivo and in vitro data in a poster at the 2008 American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting being held April 12 - 16 in San Diego.

In the poster titled "The inhibition of radiation repair by ranpirnase +/- I-buthionine sulfoximide on lung cancer," Dr. Lee provided pre-clinical evidence that ONCONASE +/- I-buthionine sulfoximide significantly increased the radiation-induced growth delay of lung tumors in vivo without increases in skin reaction, compared to radiation alone. Additionally, in vivo and in vitro data presented indicated that ONCONASE significantly increased apoptosis (programmed cell death) in several human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (A549, NCI-H1975 and HOP-62). Dr. Lee and his team of researchers also showed that the radiation repair mechanisms known as sub-lethal damage repair (SLDR) and potentially lethal damage repair (PLDR), which lead to radiation resistance in tumors, were significantly inhibited by ONCONASE in vitro... Alfacell's Press Release -

Alfacell's ONCONASE, Radiation Sensitizer for Lung Cancer Treatment

Oct. 30 , 2007 -... "ONCONASE significantly reduced the tumor hypertension that is the major physiological barrier of therapeutic delivery to solid tumors," said Dr. Lee. "As a result, ONCONASE increased tumor penetration and selectively increased tumor blood flow. This investigation suggests that ONCONASE may be a new and promising drug in the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma patients as a radiation therapy enhancer."... Alfacell's Press Release -