More MCET DD
Cancer Stem Cells and Primary Liver Cancer
Tumor tissues are composed of a mixture of cells with some cancer cells exhibiting stem cell-like properties (cancer stem cells). Cancer stem cells are thought to play a role in a tumor’s resistance to therapy and mediate disease relapse, progression or metastasis. While significant progress has been made in developing cancer therapies that result in tumor regression, the control of cancer over a longer interval and especially of metastatic disease, remains a key goal.
Primary liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma, begins in the cells of the liver itself, whereas metastatic liver cancer is cancer that begins in other parts of the body and spreads to the liver. According to the NCI, in 2008 there were approximately 21,400 new cases of primary liver cancer and intrahepatic bile duct cancer in the United States, and approximately 18,400 (86%) of those cases resulted in death in the first 18 months after diagnosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma, frequently accompanying Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C infection, is the most common cancer in some parts of the world, with more than 1 million new cases diagnosed each year. The NCI also reports that hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with cirrhosis of the liver in 50% to 80% of patients.
The role liver stem cells play in the carcinogenic process of primary liver cancer has recently led to a new hypothesis that hepatocellular carcinoma arises by maturation arrest of liver stem cells. Cancer stem cells are believed to be responsible for cancer relapse by being less sensitive to conventional therapies and thus, offer a unique opportunity to identify and develop a new generation of more effective anticancer agents (both small molecule therapeutics and biotherapies). MultiCell Technologies owns exclusive rights to two issued U.S. patents (6,872,389 and 6,129,911), one U.S. patent application (U.S. 2006/0019387A1), and several corresponding issued and pending patents and patent applications related to the isolation and differentation of liver stem cells. MultiCell is developing therapeutic product opportunities based on the concept of targeting cancer stem cells for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic bile duct cancer.
