Biotherapies' scientists identify melastatin.(Brief Article)

2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biotherapies, Inc., a biotechnology company developing new cancer therapies and diagnostic methods, announced that it has identified Melastatin, a protein that may have activity to control skin cancer.

Biotherapies recently licensed Mammastatin, its first diagnostic product for breast cancer, to a Canadian firm, and is in a clinical development program for Mammastatin's use in breast cancer therapy. This therapy involves a natural protein that stops breast cancer without toxic side effects. Company scientists working on Mammastatin technology have also been studying a similar mechanism in other tissues. Last year, company scientists were able to demonstrate that colon, ovary, prostate and skin all contained related proteins in normal tissue samples, but cancers from these same tissues were lacking related proteins. This work was the basis of a broad patent application that was submitted for the family of proteins.

Recently, Biotherapies scientists have taken an additional critical step. It has been possible to demonstrate with normal prostate and skin cells that there are proteins related to, but different from Mammastatin, secreted from these cells. It has also been demonstrated that the prostate-produced protein from normal cells inhibits prostate cancer and that the skin-produced protein from normal skin cells inhibits skin cancer (melanoma), specifically. This is important in that ...