DOS47 is a patented oncology platform technology that offers a new and potentially revolutionary approach to the debilitation and destruction of cancer cells. DOS47 is designed to offer a means of deriving a therapeutic pharmacological effect by acting upon a naturally occurring substance in the body. The technology is based on the principle of using an enzyme to catalyse the metabolism (catabolism) of an endogenous substrate molecule in order to yield metabolites of therapeutic benefit.
Helix conceived of DOS47 in pursuit of a way to modify the microenvironmental conditions inherent to cancer cells. Specifically, cancer cells generally share a common trait: they exist and propagate under conditions of abnormally low interstitial pH (i.e. high acidity). DOS47 is designed to induce an increase in pH locally at the site of cancerous cells in the body to create an environment inhospitable to their continued growth and survival.
DOS47 is based on the effect of an enzyme called urease acting upon the substrate compound urea. Urea is a substance that is naturally present in the human body. By inducing the catabolism of urea in the body in the interstitial medium surrounding cancer cells, urease action is believed to promote the production of metabolites including ammonia and hydroxide ions. These metabolites are believed to stress cancer cells by a combination of effects including the induction of an alkaline microenvironment and by direct toxic effects.
Helix believes that DOS47 may have applications both as a monotherapy and in certain combined adjunct chemotherapy regimens. Helix’s granted U.S. patents provide protection for both of these possible therapeutic applications.
Helix envisions applying its DOS47 technology to multiple different solid tumor types, by combining it with cancer-specific targeting agents able to localize potent DOS47 therapy to any given tumor target in the body. Helix’ first DOS47-based targeted therapeutic under development, L-DOS47 , is a potential treatment of lung adenocarcinomas.
Helix continues to explore opportunities to expand upon its product pipeline with new DOS47-based therapeutics, pending the identification of further tumor targeting agents like the lung adenocarcinoma antibody component of L-DOS47.
For more information describing Helix’s DOS47/L-DOS47: