Contact: Suzanne Lindsey, School of Molecular Biosciences, 206/957-7350; jslindsey@adelphia.net
WSU Researcher Takes Aim at Metastatic Cancer
PULLMAN, Wash. -- "Has it spread?"
That has been one of the questions cancer patients most fear to
ask-and one their doctors find most difficult to answer. It can be
very hard to tell whether cancerous cells have spread from a tumor
into other tissues; and once a cancer spreads from its original
site, the patient's odds of survival go way down.
Washington State University scientist Suzanne Lindsey is taking aim
against metastatic cancer as part of a new biotech company, the
Recodagen (reh-KOH-da-jen) Corporation. The company's technology
will be based on Lindsey's discovery of a novel class of protein
with the potential to allow doctors to diagnose and target invasive
cancer cells.
"Current therapies only target the growth of tumors," said Lindsey.
"They don't target invasion."
Yet the most lethal cancers are those that metastasize, or leave
their original site and invade other tissues. Invasive cancer cells
are resistant to most of the therapies now in use, said Lindsey,
and until now it has been very difficult to detect cancer cells
that are in the process of spreading to new sites. Being able to
target invasive cells as well as cells in the original tumor could
provide a potent one-two punch against some of the deadliest forms
of the disease.
The start-up company is part of the Accelerator Corporation, a
privately-held biotechnology investment and development company
located in the Eastlake section of Seattle. Lindsey, who is an
affiliate associate professor in WSU's School of Molecular
Biosciences, joins the Recodagen team as vice president of
discovery and will spearhead the company's research efforts.
The key to Lindsey's approach is a protein called MIG-7 (Migration
Inducing Gene-7) that she discovered in her lab at WSU. MIG-7
appears on the surface of cancer cells just before they migrate out
of a solid tumor and while the cells are migrating and invading new
tissues.
That makes MIG-7 a potential diagnostic feature-a reliable
indicator of whether a tumor has spread or is getting ready to
spread. The protein also could serve as a sort of bull's-eye on
migrating cancer cells, giving clinicians a target to aim at as
they look for ways to destroy the metastatic cells. Lindsey said
she will be working on therapeutic approaches that specifically
target cells that have MIG-7.
Lindsey said her work could also lead to the discovery of other
potentially useful proteins. She found MIG-7 by taking a closer
look at a stretch of DNA that had been dismissed as "junk DNA"- a
segment that was previously thought not to code for a protein.
Lindsey said the techniques she developed to find and analyze the
MIG-7 gene can be applied to finding other important genes that
have so far gone undetected.
"We have proprietary methods to identify and characterize such
[genes]. With the expertise and backing of Accelerator, we will be
able to rapidly demonstrate the proof of concept and develop
products that will ultimately benefit human health," she said.
Howard Grimes, vice president for research and dean of the Graduate
School at WSU, praised Lindsey's work. "We believe Dr. Lindsey's
research has the potential to have a major impact on how cancers
are diagnosed and treated in the future. Her technology represents
a shift in the gene-expression paradigm and may lead to novel and
effective therapeutics in the oncology treatment arena," he
said.
"It is fulfilling to be a part of basic science entering the
commercial realm and having an impact on human health," he
added.
"We are very excited about the possibilities this technology offers
and pleased to be able to contribute to the economic development of
Washington State and the Puget Sound area," said John Gardner, vice
president for Extension and Economic Development at WSU.
About Accelerator Corporation
Accelerator Corporation,
founded in 2003, is a privately-held biotechnology investment and
development company located in Seattle, Washington, USA. The
corporation provides the resources critical to building the next
generation of life-enhancing biotechnology companies. These key
resources, provided by global life science leaders such as Amgen
Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, OVP Venture Partners, Alexandria
Real Estate Equities, Inc., WRF Capital, and the Institute for
Systems Biology, include committed capital from top-tier venture
capital firms, state-of-the-art facilities, world-class scientific
and technical expertise and support, and experienced biotechnology
start-up business management and support. For more information,
please go to www.acceleratorcorp.com.