Cancer Therapy Advances Thanks to SUNY Downstate Researchers
Apr 1, 2010
Kyto Biopharma, Inc., has signed a licensing agreement with the Research Foundation of the State University of New York to patent Transcobalamin (vitamin B12) Receptor, a cancer therapy intended to minimize many of the complications arising from chemotherapy.
The new therapy is the result of more than 10 years of research by the SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University team headed by Edward Quadros, PhD, research professor of medicine, and research scientist Jeffrey Sequeira, MS. The SUNY Downstate team has been focused on targeting the vitamin B12 pathway for the treatment of cancer.
Georges Benarroch, president and CEO of Kyto, complemented the SUNY Downstate scientists and the SUNY Research Foundation for their contributions and support for more than a decade.
Kyto Biopharma, Inc., is a Florida-based biotechnology company operating from Toronto, Canada, and developing monoclonal antibody therapies for the treatment of various forms of cancer. Vitamin B12 regulates one of two major cellular pathways for the recycling of folates, the cell’s primary source of carbon and the progenitor for the synthesis of DNA. The newly identified Transcobalamin receptor (CD320) is over expressed in a host of various forms of cancer cells and serves as a viable target for development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies to deliver toxins and chemotherapeutic drugs.
Dr. Quadros received his Ph.D. from the University of London, UK, and his research training at Westminster Medical School, London, and at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, California. He has made seminal contributions to our current understanding of vitamin B12 and folate metabolism and genetic abnormalities involving these vitamins. His current research is focused on targeting B12/folate pathways in cancer therapy and understanding the role of these vitamins in embryonic development and brain function.
Commenting on the current accomplishments, Dr. Quadros noted, “Inhibiting the folate pathways has been effective in treating numerous cancers for decades but the strategy lacks the specificity and targeting demanded of newer approaches. Cell cycle-associated over-expression of the receptor for B12 uptake in certain cancers provides enhanced targeting and could reduce systemic toxicity.”
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.