Now published open access online, a special section of Current Opinion in Pharmacology (COPHAR)* has been expertly and jointly compiled by Laura Soucek, Principal Investigator of VHIO’s Mouse Models of Cancer Therapies Group and ICREA Professor, and Jonathan Whitfield, Staff Scientist of the same group. This impressive collection of expert opinion peptide-centered articles, each individually invited by Laura and Jonathan as co-Editors of this feature, begins with an overview setting out the increasing promise and potency of peptides as anti-cancer armory.
Our two authors were especially selected to assemble this special section based on their pioneering research centered on translating Omomyc-based therapy into clinical application, which subsequently led to the creation of a VHIO-born spin-off, Peptomyc S.L**, back in 2014.
This Company was co-founded by Laura –who also serves as its Chief Executive Officer- in partnership with Marie-Eve Beaulieu, Chief Scientific Officer of Peptomyc and formerly a Postdoc of Laura’s group. Building on the successes of their preclinical research, Peptomyc’s drug development efforts have recently led to the proven efficacy of Omomyc as a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)***.
In their editorial overview, Peptides in cancer, they begin by sharing their own experiences and then update on just how far these novel contenders have come in penetrating the drug market at the global level, with around 70 approved to-date and over 150 in current development in the areas of metabolic disease, oncology, and cardiovascular disease. Introducing a total of eight review pieces authored by leading experts within the field, including Peptomyc’s Marie-Eve Beaulieu and Toni Jauset (who was also a former researcher of Laura’s lab), they invite readers in by providing a synopsis of each article.
To access this special edition, covering timely topics including Peptides as Cancer Vaccines, Protein-driven nanomedicines in oncotherapy, Tumor Targeting Peptides: Novel Therapeutic Strategies in Glioblastoma, Peptides in Clinical Development for the treatment of Brain Tumors, Recent advances of anti-cancer therapies including the use of cell-penetrating peptides, and Bioactive cell penetrating peptides and proteins in cancer: a bright future ahead, please click on the following link:
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1ZbM75Ea-8DGnZ
Please note: at the time of publishing this VHIO news, Laura Soucek’s affiliation in the PDF version of the Editorial overview: Peptides in cancer is incorrect. We kindly thank COPHAR’s publishing team who are currently rectifying this production error.
For more information about VHIO’s Mouse Models of Cancer Therapies Group click here.
###
References:
* Whitfield J, Soucek L. Cancer 2019. Cancer Immunomodulation. CURR OPIN PHARMACOL. 2019 Aug; 47: 1-144.
**Beaulieu ME, Jauset T, Massó-Vallés D, Martínez-Martín S, Rahl P, Maltais L, Zacarias-Fluck MF, Casacuberta-Serra S, Serrano Del Pozo E, Fiore C, Foradada L, Cano VC, Sánchez-Hervás M, Guenther M, Romero Sanz E, Oteo M, Tremblay C, Martín G, Letourneau D, Montagne M, Morcillo Alonso MÁ, Whitfield JR, Lavigne P, Soucek L. Intrinsic cell-penetrating activity propels Omomyc from proof of concept to viable anti-Myc therapy. Sci Transl Med. 2019 Mar 20;11(484). doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aar5012.
