French nanomedicine firm Nanobiotix has partnered with US-based Providence Cancer Institute to carry out pre-clinical research of its immunotherapeutic candidate NBTXR3 for pancreatic cancer.
NBTXR3 is an aqueous suspension of hafnium oxide nanoparticles being developed for direct injection into cancerous tumours, and activation by using radiotherapy.
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Providence Cancer Institute is set to provide the necessary preclinical data on the ability of radiotherapy-activated NBTXR3 to trigger an anti-tumoural immune response.
The year-long research is to be led by Robert W. Franz Cancer Center Translational Radiation Research director Marka Crittenden and will use in-vitro and in-vivo pancreatic models.
It will involve an in-depth analysis of early immunologic mechanisms that are induced by nanoparticles activated by radiotherapy, when compared to radiotherapy alone.
In addition, these mechanisms will be monitored for impact on tumour control, survival and spreading of metastasis.
Crittenden said: “Promising pre-clinical data suggests that nanoparticles combined with radiotherapy enhance tumour-specific immune responses and lead to an abscopal response, priming a patient’s immune system to attack cancer cells outside of the radiotherapy target area.”
The findings from the joint research are expected to allow evaluation of NBTXR3’s potential use in immuno-oncology and its capability to control metastatic disease.
Nanobiotix has also obtained approval of NBTXR3’s investigational new drug (IND) and plans to initiate a multi-arm clinical trial in the US in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of advanced lung cancer and head and neck cancer.
