Chemokine scientists designed CTCE-9908 to inhibit the growth and spread of the most common forms of cancer with the potential for use with existing therapies (chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation) to improve treatment outcomes.

Background on how Cancers Spread and the Potential Role of CTCE–9908
Recently, researchers discovered that the growth and spread of cancer are affected by a chemokine known as stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1). SDF-1 is produced naturally in organs such as the bone marrow, liver, and lungs and is an important regulator of stem cells. SDF-1 acts on receptors which are expressed in both stem cells and various common cancers. The presence of these receptors on cancer cells allows the cancerous cells to migrate from the original cancer site to new sites that are rich in SDF-1, such as bone marrow, liver, and lungs, where they develop new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and form new tumors (metastases).

CTCE-9908 is an analog of SDF-1 and antagonist of SDF-1 receptors developed by scientists at Chemokine Therapeutics using rational-drug design. CTCE-9908 binds competitively to receptors on cancer cells which prevents the interaction of SDF-1 with the receptors. A recently completed Phase I study of CTCE-9908 in healthy adults did not reveal any significant toxicity.

CTCE-9908 has the potential to become part of a new generation of drugs that acts to inhibit the spread and growth of cancer cells from the primary tumor.