DNA breaks often occur in rapidly replicating cells, such as cancer cells. Cells react to such breaks by deploying enzymes that repair damaged DNA. Oncozyme has identified one such enzyme, endo-exonuclease (EE) that is believed to play a critical role in this process.
When cancer patients are treated with DNA-breaking chemotherapy or irradiation, the EE enzyme, present in high concentration in cancer cells, partially counteracts treatment effects by repairing targeted DNA.
Oncozyme has identified a new anti-cancer agent targeting the EE enzyme: OCZ103-OS (pentamidine bis (2-hydroxyethanesulfonate)). The company has demonstrated that inhibiting EE enzyme activity by using OCZ103-OS greatly enhances the efficacy of standard anti-cancer treatment.
Since OCZ103-OS has shown anti-cancer properties when used in monotherapy as well as synergistic effects in combination with other standard cytotoxic agents, Oncozyme is currently evaluating its activity with an ambitious clinical program.