Regen BioPharma reports its researchers have identified a series of small molecule drugs that inhibit NR2F6 and also activate human immune cells ex-vivo. Evidence provided by studies suggest that NR2F6 represses the body's immune response against tumors; therefore inhibiting NR2F6 may lead to enhanced immune response against cancerous tumor cells.
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"Based on the known activities of NR2F6, we expect that inhibiting its activity will lead to increased T cell activation. We found that several of our NR2F6 antagonists can activate human immune cells, such as T cells, leading to increased IL-17a production in a concentration-dependent manner," said Harry Lander, Ph.D., MBA, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regen.
"While preliminary, these results are extremely encouraging, as the antagonists are behaving as we had hoped and expected," said David Koos, Ph.D., Chairman & CEO Regen BioPharma.
The NR2F6 nuclear receptor has been identified as a potentially very important immune cell inhibitor (an immune checkpoint) and cancer stem cell differentiator. The NR2F6 small molecule program at Regen aims to identify antagonists of NR2F6 in an effort to unleash the cancer-killing potential of a patient's own immune system as well as identifying agonists which should suppress the immune system in diseases where the immune system is over-activated, such as autoimmunity.