TransCode Therapeutics, Inc. (“TransCode”) was founded with a mission to revolutionize the cancer treatment landscape and improve patient outcomes. The company is currently working to uphold this mission through the development of TTX-MC138, a therapeutic candidate designed for a variety of cancer types including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and glioblastoma. It works by inhibiting microRNA-10b and stopping metastasis (the spread of cancer). 

Yahoo! Finance reports that preclinical data on TTX-MC138 for glioblastoma is available and will soon be published in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. Within the study, the research team implanted human glioblastoma cells in animal models. After treating the animal models with TTX-MC138, the researchers saw increased tumor cell death; the treatment also stopped the cancer’s progression. Additionally, combining TTX-MC138 with temozolomide—the current standard-of-care for glioblastoma—showed increased efficacy. 

Additional preclinical studies of TTX-MC138 showed its benefits. For example, 40% of animal models with pancreatic adenocarcinoma had a complete response to treatment, meaning that the cancer began regressing. 

Moving forward, TransCode plans to initiate a human clinical study with up to 12 participants with advanced solid tumors. While the study will not evaluate efficacy, it will focus on the pharmacokinetics. 

About Glioblastoma

Pre-existing genetic disorders or previous radiation therapy both increase the risk of developing glioblastoma (stage IV astrocytoma), a rare and aggressive brain cancer. About 20% of brain tumors are diagnosed as glioblastoma. If you’re male, you are more susceptible to these tumors than females. 

It can be difficult to treat glioblastoma. These tumors can create their own blood supply, contributing to increased growth. As a result, the survival prognosis for this cancer is poor, with only an estimated 5-10% of people surviving five years after diagnosis. While a combination of electric-field therapy, chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery may stop the tumor from continuing to grow, more therapies are urgently needed to improve patient lives. Symptoms may include:

• Persistent and severe headaches
• Double or blurry vision
• Difficulty thinking or speaking
• Nausea and vomiting
• Drowsiness
• Weakness on one side of the body
• Appetite loss
• Changes in mood, behavior, and personality 
• Memory loss
• Seizures