On June 28, 2016 OncoSec Medical Incorporated ("OncoSec") (NASDAQ: ONCS), a company developing DNA-based intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, reported recent advancements in electroporation (gene electro-transfer) for immunotherapy in two poster presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Special Conference on Engineering and Physical Sciences in Oncology in Boston (Press release, OncoSec Medical, JUN 28, 2016, View Source [SID:1234513598])1. New data related to OncoSec’s Tissue-based Real-time Adaptive Controlled Electroporation (TRACE) technology and helical integrated applicator (Helix) showed that these technologies have the potential to reduce procedural frequency as well as enhance usability by physicians. Together, these novel technologies may improve a patient’s experience to gene electro-transfer and improve therapeutic outcomes, which will help broaden the adoption of gene-electro transfer technologies in immunotherapy.
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The TRACE and Helix technologies are central to OncoSec’s next-generation device development and represent a significant advancement in electroporation technology. Existing electroporation systems apply fixed pulses, independent of tissue conditions, that are typically optimized by heuristics. The new TRACE technology brings together OncoSec’s research and engineering efforts to adapt the pulses to tissue conditions in real time and detect when optimal conditions have been achieved to complete electroporation treatment. The new Helix applicator integrates engineering advancements to function synergistically with the TRACE technology. The TRACE and Helix technologies have the potential to improve delivery of new therapeutic agents and access a variety of new tumor types and locations.
"The new TRACE and Helix technologies are a testament to the expertise of OncoSec’s engineering and research teams," said Punit Dhillon, President and CEO. "Electroporation is a powerful gene delivery tool, and we believe that these novel technologies are a breakthrough in the field of electroporation therapy. As we look beyond the proof-of-concept stage for our intratumoral immunotherapy programs, these advancements are a major step forward in being able to consistently deliver more advanced therapeutic agents with the potential to target multiple facets of tumor immune subversion."
TRACE Technology
The poster presentation entitled "Feedback Optimized Gene Electro-Transfer for Immunotherapy" highlights the efficacy of modulating pulse durations in real-time for the intratumoral delivery of plasmid DNA in mouse tumor models. OncoSec’s generator incorporating TRACE technology was used to perform electroporation with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy feedback operating in a closed-loop configuration to optimize each pulse duration in real-time.
Preclinical studies demonstrated electroporation integrating TRACE technology is capable of achieving maximum expression of reporter genes with minimal energy delivered. Based on these findings, it is hypothesized that this technology will minimize collateral cell death and reduce treatment variability observed in patients. These findings represent a significant advancement in gene electro-transfer, because retaining the viability of transfected cells is critical for treatment success.
Helix Technology
The poster presentation entitled "A Novel Applicator for Endoscopic Gene Electro-Transfer" discusses the role of DNA dispersion during intratumoral gene delivery and its impact on gene electro-transfer efficiency. OncoSec researchers developed a single-helical injection needle that anchors the target tissue and delivers plasmid DNA. This achieves delivery of the plasmid to an area three times larger than that of a standard injection needle. Helix combines the helical needle with electroporation electrodes on a single applicator, which may enhance gene delivery by increasing surface area for tissue-DNA-electroporation interaction.
The Helix technology showed enhanced efficacy of IL-12 plasmid electroporation in an aggressive B16.F10 mouse melanoma model, significantly reducing tumor growth rate and increasing survival after a single treatment. The anchoring associated with the helical needle and the close proximity of the electrodes ensures co-localization of the electric field with the injected plasmid DNA as well as repeatable treatment of malleable tumors. In addition, the compact design of the electrodes and helical needle could make the applicator compatible with standard medical devices, including trocars, endoscopes, and other catheter based devices, thus enabling the application of intratumoral gene immunotherapy to a broad range of deep tissue cancers.
The poster presentations are available in the Publications section of OncoSec’s website.