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A METHIONINASE FOR METHIONINE-DEPENDENT CHEMOTHERAPY

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Health and Human Services 		Branch:
N/A 		Award ID:
7118 		Program Year/Program:
1990 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
7118 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
ANTICANCER, INC.
ANTICANCER, INC. 7917 OSTROW STREET SAN DIEGO, CA -
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 2
Fiscal Year: 1990
Title: A METHIONINASE FOR METHIONINE-DEPENDENT CHEMOTHERAPY
Agency: HHS
Contract: N/A
Award Amount: $486,774.00
 

Abstract:

NEW APPROACHES ARE NECESSARY TO IMPROVE CHEMOTHERAPY OF SOLID TUMORS. FOR THIS PURPOSE, ANTICANCER, INC. HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE CANCER-SPECIFIC METABOLIC DEFECT OF METHIONINE DEPENDENCE, WHICH CAUSES MANY TYPES OF CANCER CELLS TO REVERSIBLY ARREST LATE IN THE S/G2 PHASE OF THE CELL CYCLE IN MEDIUM WHERE METHIONINE (MET) HAS BEEN REPLACED BY HOMOCYSTEINE (HCY) (MET-HCY+ MEDIUM). THIS APPROACH HAS BEEN TERMED "METHIONINE-DEPENDENT CHEMOTHERAPY". TO BRING METHIONINE-DEPENDENT CHEMOTHERAPY CLOSER TO CLINICAL TRIALS, ANTICANCER, INC. PROPOSES TO ISOLATE A METHIONINASE THAT, UPON ADMINISTRATION TO THE ANIMAL OR PATIENT, WILL ALLOW THE MODULATION OF CIRCULATING LEVELS OF METHIONINE. THE BACTERIA ALCALIGENES FAECALIS AND PSEUDOMONAS PSEUDOALCALIGENES, WHICH CONTAIN A METHIONINASE THAT APPARENTLY DOES NOT CLEAVE HOMOCYSTEINE, HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. STATE-OF-THE-ART GENETIC SELECTION AND PROTEIN PURIFICATION PROCEDURES WILL BE USED TO ISOLATE A METHIONINASE WITH A LOW KM, A LONG HALF-LIFE IN THE CIRCULATION, AND A LOW TOXICITY FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL OR HUMAN PATIENT. THE METHIONINE-CLEAVING PROPERTIES, HALF-LIFE, AND TOXICITY OF THE ENZYME WILL BE TESTED IN RATS. PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A DESIRABLE ENZYME IN PHASE I WILL LEAD TO CLONING THE METHIONINASE GENEIN PHASE II.

Principal Investigator:

Peter H Stern Phd
6192993250

Business Contact:

Small Business Information at Submission:

Anticancer Inc.
5325 Metro St San Diego, CA 92110

EIN/Tax ID:
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees: N/A
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No