TransCode Therapeutics focuses on addressing the most significant unmet need in oncology, specifically metastatic disease. This is when cancer spreads to other parts of the body from its origin. TransCode utilizes its TTX platform in the metastatic setting with the goal to improve treatment outcomes and enable long-term survival possibilities.
What is Metastasis?
Metastatic disease, also known as metastasis or metastatic cancer, refers to the spread of cancer from the original site (primary tumor) to other parts of the body.
Metastatic disease remains an unmet medical need with no durable solution.
It occurs when cancer cells break away from the primary tumor, travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system, and establish new tumors in different organs or tissues. The development of metastatic disease is a complex process. Cancer cells can invade nearby tissues and penetrate blood vessels or lymphatic vessels, allowing them to enter the circulatory system. Once in the bloodstream or lymphatic system, cancer cells can travel to distant organs or tissues, where they can lodge and form secondary tumors.
Metastatic disease is a significant concern in cancer because it indicates that the cancer has progressed to an advanced stage.
- It often implies a poorer prognosis and can limit treatment options.
- The presence of metastases is typically determined through imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), or by performing biopsies of suspicious lesions.
- Current treatments of metastatic disease usually involve a combination of therapies, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and surgery when feasible. The aim is to control the growth and spread of the cancer, relieve symptoms, and improve the patient's quality of life. However, in some cases, metastatic cancer may be incurable, and treatment focuses on palliative care to manage symptoms and enhance comfort.
- Over 90% of deaths from cancer are, in fact, due to metastasis and not the primary tumor.
- TransCode has developed a targeted therapy for metastatic cancer that leads to complete regression and lifetime remission after just 4-6 weekly treatments in animal studies. This radically novel and highly promising therapeutic strategy against cancer relies on specific eradication of metastatic tumor cells– cells that have acquired the ability to escape into the circulation, survive during transit, and colonize a distant vital organ, such as the lungs and brain. As shown by TransCode's scientific founders, our RNA therapy invariably spares healthy organs and have essentially no systemic toxicity compared to chemotherapy. The latter interferes with cell division and is detrimental to any mitotically active cells (such as red blood cells, cells in the skin, hair, bone marrow and intestinal lining).
- The therapy developed by TransCode, even if taken up by any cell, would act preferentially on metastatic cells and not only eliminate their capacity to migrate and invade surrounding tissues but also has been shown to lead to their death.