Research The Bayer Scientific Magazin, Edition 28
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- Hope for particularly severe forms of cancer
- INTERVIEW WITH KEMAL MALIK
- What form will this interdisciplinary cooperation actually take
- In some cases, promising developments emerge from start-up companies. How do you account for this in your innovation strategy
have already been approved, for example for treating metastat- ic malignant melanoma. The post-diagnosis life expectancy of patients with this type of cancer used to be about six months. With immunotherapeutic drugs, survival can increase to about two years – with the prospect of more. However, the drugs are not effective in all patients. “About 20 to 30 percent of patients in clinical studies respond to treatment,” Kreft states. Why that number is so low is still a subject of debate among researchers. “But we are talking about 20 to 30 percent here, as opposed to zero percent before,” Aswad adds. So one therapeutic approach per form of cancer is not sufficient. “We need a selection of treatment methods in the future, which target different structures in the body. This is the only way that more and more cancer patients can benefit. We want to help achieve this goal,” says Kreft. The researchers are collaborating with prominent partners worldwide at research institutes and other pharmaceutical companies to discover as many therapeutic targets as possible and develop the corresponding antibodies. “The Israeli firm Compugen, for instance, uses highly innova- tive bioinformatics methods to identify previously unknown immune checkpoints,” Röse explains. The scientists have discov- ered two new targets for immunotherapeutic approaches. Röse’s colleagues are now working with the researchers in Tel Aviv to develop specific antibodies. “We are concentrating on both the Scrupulous and sterile: antibody-based active ingredients are manufactured in conditions of absolute cleanliness. Dr. Volker Müller carries out his work at the clean bench (photo left). Dr. Heiner Apeler and Tanja Wesarg (photo right, left to right) ensure that the antibodies are purified from other proteins. Extended action
Start of treatment End of
treatment Therapeutic time frame and duration of action Cancer treatments Immunotherapy still effective after the end of treatment Bayer research 28 July 2015 17
www.research.bayer.com/ immunotherapies More information on this subject antigen structure on the cancer cells and on the immune cell recep- tors,” says Dr. Zurit Levine, Vice President of Research and Discovery at Compugen. The efficacy of the most promising candidates is cur- rently being tested in cell cultures and animal models. While the Bayer researchers and their colleagues are most hope- ful about the checkpoint blockade, they are also researching vari- ous other options such as “bispecific antibodies” or BiTEs (see also research 24, “Systematic biotechnology”). BiTEs establish direct contact between cancer cells and special killer cells in the immune system. The BiTE bridge comprises two fragments, each of which specifically recognizes a molecule on the surface of the respective cell. The killer cells are thus able to dock onto a tumor, where they then release substances that destroy the cancerous tissue. At present, Bayer researchers are working together with the biotech firm Am- gen on two projects. “We are currently testing a first BiTE antibody against prostate cancer in a Phase I clinical trial,” Kreft explains. His colleagues, meanwhile, are working on developing a second BiTE an- tibody for treating different types of cancer. Although all new drug candidates are initially developed to treat one type of tumor, they are also tested in the early clinical phase for their efficacy against other cancers as well. In other words, immu- notherapy should be capable of treating more than just melanoma in the future. “A dozen more indications are currently being explored and may be added along the way,” Kreft predicts. Kreft and his team are confident that immunotherapies will become an important part of cancer treatment. “The opportunities are immense,” concludes the Bayer researcher. Colorful array of samples: biological lab technician Claudia Kamfenkel examines tissue samples in the automatic scanner. INTERVIEW WITH KEMAL MALIK “ Even more room for life science research” Mr. Malik, Bayer is going to be a pure life science company in the future. What does this mean for Bayer’s research? At first glance, there are enormous differences between people and plants, for example, but in fact significant parts of their DNA are surprisingly similar. We want to take greater advantage of this fact and pool our life science expertise. After all, the commonalities in the molecular details of various species offer new approaches for in- terdisciplinary research projects and joint technology platforms from which all areas of research can benefit – particular in the early phase. We will therefore encourage our life science researchers from various disciplines such as chemistry, biology, physics, engineering and information technology to work closer together in future projects so as to leverage expertise in an interdisciplinary manner. What form will this interdisciplinary cooperation actually take? An important element here is that we are giving our new ideas more room. Take metabolomics, for example: through the analysis of molecular fragments, this field of research can enable the development of diagnostic procedures for diseases or the identification of targets for new crop protection products. The aim here is to more intensively exchange acquired knowledge and further improve the quality of research – all within a framework that promotes innovation and new ideas, fully in keeping with our slogan “passion to innovate, power to change.”
That’s right, even if our research and development department were three times its current size, we still wouldn’t be able to generate as many ideas as the global academic and start-up scene produces. It is simply no longer possible today for a company to cover all areas of innovation itself. We are therefore also focusing closely on promoting a culture of entrepreneurship and partner- ing. After all, the entrepreneurial culture at universities and start-ups around the world is unique and cannot be replicated within a company. It is exactly because start- ups are different that we wish to find a way of accessing their innovations. Good cooperation is an art, and that is MEDICINE Cover story 18 Bayer research 28 July 2015 Yüklə 11,94 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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