MOSPD2 sounds more tantalizing as an investor(implications in breast cancer migration and auto immune disease)that VB111 with what appears to be marginal efficacy. The more I think about it, the more dubious ovarian cancer sounds based on their phase II trial design. Dror could save a huge amount of money by shelving VB111 and getting rid of the recently hired corporate officers. But, can he change on a dime?
VBL Therapeutics Presents Data on MOSPD2, a Novel Immuno-Oncology Target
April 04, 2017
TEL AVIV, Israel, April 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VBL Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VBLT), announced today the presentation of new data on MOSPD2, a novel potential target in oncology. VBL's study, entitled "MOSPD2, a Newly Characterized Protein, Promotes Breast Cancer Metastasis" by Mendel et al., will be presented today at the American Association of Cancer research (AACR) conference in Washington, DC. The study observed from clinical biopsies that MOSPD2 is prevalent in invasive human breast cancer tissue and that levels of MOSPD2 correlate to breast cancer invasiveness. It was further observed that a knockdown of MOSPD2 in a human breast cancer cell line using CRISPR technology led to blockade of EGF signaling and significant reduction of breast cancer cell migration in vitro and metastasis in a mouse model.
"The current publication indicates involvement of MOSPD2 in motility and metastasis of cancer cells in a breast cancer model, with correlative clinical specimens expression pattern that is associated with breast tumor invasiveness," said Eyal Breitbart, PhD, VP for Research and Operations at VBL. "We believe that MOSPD2 may be involved in the regulation of cell motility in addition to breast cancer, as it is found in other tumor tissues as well. We recently reported its role in monocyte migration and are studying its expression and potential involvement in additional tumor types," added Dr. Breitbart.
The company believes that targeting of MOSPD2 may have several therapeutic applications, including inhibition of tumor cell metastases and targeting of MOSPD2-positive tumor cells, as well as inhibition of monocyte migration in chronic inflammatory conditions. VBL's "VB-600 series" of pipeline candidates is being developed towards these applications.
