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$PMCB University of Northern Colorado Presenting PharmaCyte Biotech’s Cannabis Research at the 2017 American Chemical Society National Meeting

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., Nov. 14, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. (OTCQB:PMCB), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing targeted treatments for cancer and diabetes using its signature live-cell encapsulation technology, Cell-in-a-Box®, today announced that its research partner, the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), has submitted abstracts for the presentation of two scientific papers at the 253rd American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting & Exposition in San Francisco, California, April 2-6, 2017.

The ACS National Meeting provides chemistry professionals a forum to meet, share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. The theme of the upcoming meeting is “Advanced Materials, Technologies, Systems & Processes.” PharmaCyte’s Cannabis research at UNC fits the theme perfectly since it revolves around utilization of PharmaCyte’s proprietary Cell-in-a-Box® technology. The papers will be presented by Dr. Richard M. Hyslop, Principal Investigator and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UNC and his students.

PharmaCyte’s Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth L. Waggoner, commented “We are very pleased with the ongoing progress at UNC. The upcoming ACS meeting provides an ideal venue to present two more scientific papers that have been generated from the work being done by Dr. Hyslop and his team as well as showcase the versatility of Cell-in-a-Box® as an advanced therapeutic platform.”

The first paper is titled “Development of a cannabinoid-based Cell-in-a-Box® therapeutic system targeted toward malignant tumors.” This aspect of the UNC research investigates the feasibility of a patented cell-encapsulation technology in which cells producing enzymes capable of converting an inactive phytocannabinoid prodrug into an active anti-cancer drug are encapsulated in a cellulose-based porous polymer, which can be injected immediately upstream from a tumor. Then, an administered phytocannabinoid prodrug can be activated by the encapsulated cells at the site of the tumor. The paper describes how, using both specific phytocannabinoids and model compounds, a variety of cell lines have been screened for the appropriate enzymatic activity to convert an inactive cannabinoid prodrug into an active drug. Five cell lines have been observed to produce the desired enzyme and are being further assessed with specific phytocannabinoid prodrugs.

The second paper is titled “In vitro anti-neoplastic activity of specific phytocannabinoids of Cannabis sativa.” As part of a more in-depth study to develop a cannabinoid-based targeted treatment of malignant tumors, the in vitro effects of select cannabinoids on several human cancer cell lines have been investigated, including glioblastoma, pancreatic, breast, melanoma, lung and colon. The paper describes how single-cell layer cultures were treated with increasing levels of a purified cannabinoid and details the resultant changes in cancer cell populations. Initial results suggest that this cannabinoid possesses potent anti-proliferative effects against several types of cancer cells. Studies continue to assess this cannabinoid with several cancer cell lines, and it may represent a viable candidate for further therapeutic evaluation.

Dr. Hyslop has been involved in cancer research for four decades and is leading a team of scientists from UNC to develop a “green” approach to treating solid tumors, initially brain cancer. “We are looking forward to sharing some of our results with the scientific community,” commented Dr. Hyslop. “Our team of biochemists, organic chemists, molecular biologists, genetic engineers, undergraduate students, and graduate students continue to work diligently to achieve our goal of developing targeted cannabinoid-based chemotherapy utilizing Cell-in-a-Box®.”

For more information on the meeting visit: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/meetings/spring-2017.html

http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2016/11/14/889653/0/en/University-of-Northern-Colorado-Presenting-PharmaCyte-Biotech-s-Cannabis-Research-at-the-2017-American-Chemical-Society-National-Meeting.html