26 September 2011
Parabon NanoLabs announced that it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR1 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to produce a novel, nano- pharmaceutical compound that preferentially selects and destroys brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) to aid the treatment of glioblastomamultiforme (GBM), one of the most lethal brain cancers. BTSCs in GBM have been identified as a highly tumorigenic cell subpopulation that promotes tumor angiogenesis and therapeutic resistance. Using Parabon's Essemblix™ Drug Development Platform, the lead compound and its experimental variants will be developed upon a proprietary molecular breadboard, called PNL24, that can be functionalized with different targeting ligands and cytotoxic payloads in plug and play fashion. These compounds will be used to test the hypothesis that mixed-ligand, low-affinity targeting can achieve superior BTSC targeting specificity versus single-ligand alternatives.
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1 The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific research and development needs. A company that receives SBIR funding is eligible for sole source grants and contracts with the Federal government for services and products used on, developed in or derived from the SBIR effort.
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