Joint Project Explores Strategies to Overcome Tumour Resistance

The Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH)and French biotech Advanced BioDesign, a developer of therapies for resistant forms of cancer, are conducting collaborative research to identify mechanisms regulating the anti-tumour immune system, particularly into severe pathologies where tumour immunosuppression constitutes a survival mechanism for cancer cells.
The partnership, which will enable Dr Bassam Janji’s TIME (Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment) research group to investigate the efficacy of Advanced BioDesign’s compounds, was made possible through the involvement of the General Directorate of Research, Intellectual Property and New Technologies within the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy, which organised a business meeting between the two parties in December 2019.

The TIME research group, part of the oncology department of the LIH, is focused on generating basic knowledge to identify therapeutic targets that are capable of reprogramming immunologically desert tumours, or ‘cold tumours’, into inflamed immune infiltrated tumours, known as ‘hot tumours’. The first step in this collaborative project will entail the use of preclinical melanoma and lung cancer models, two cancer indications for which Advanced BioDesign’s main compound has already demonstrated strong proof of concept in anticancer activity(1).
“Advanced BioDesign is proud to collaborate with Dr Janji’s team, which is recognised for its work on tumour resistance in anticancer therapies,” said Ismail Ceylan, CEO of Advanced BioDesign. “This alliance with the LIH paves the way to new markets for our company working alongside big pharma and allows us to consider potential partnerships with large groups in future joint clinical trials.”
 “We are delighted to team up with Advanced BioDesign,” said Dr Janji. “This partnership will enable us to add a translational dimension to our research activities. The ultimate aim of the partnership is to develop innovative therapeutic strategies within the field of oncology. We firmly believe that our efforts will ultimately meet the urgent clinical needs and fully harness the impressive therapeutic value of molecules developed by Advanced BioDesign.”

More information: online
1. (Oncogene 2017 and 2020).