Marietta, Ohio
ProtoKinetix, Incorporated (www.protokinetix.com) (the “Company” or “ProtoKinetix”) (OTCQB:PKTX) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a research agreement with The University of British Columbia (UBC), under the direction of principal investigator Dr. Kelly McNagny, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics.
This research agreement is to test and determine the effect of AAGP® on monoclonal antibody production and bone marrow recovery.
The University of British Columbia’s Antibody Lab will test whether AAGP® enhances the production of monoclonal antibodies from cell lines, an important manufacturing issue for current immunotherapies. UBC will also test whether AAGP® enhances the survival/efficacy of engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells, a technical hurdle in cell based therapies for bone marrow transplantation and cancer therapy.
The goal will be to determine whether AAGP® enhances the ex vivo survival and maintenance of multipotent potential in a way that could be used to enhance bone marrow transplantation. “If AAGP® could enhance survival or, better still, aid in the expansion of stem cells in vitro, this would be of enormous clinical benefit” – said Dr. Kelly McNagny, Professor of Medical Genetics, UBC.
The goal of a bone marrow transplant is to cure many diseases and types of cancer. When the doses of chemotherapy or radiation needed to cure a cancer are so high that a person’s bone marrow stem cells will be permanently damaged or destroyed by the treatment, a bone marrow transplant may be needed. Bone marrow transplants may also be needed if the bone marrow has been destroyed by a disease.
A bone marrow transplant can be used to:
- Replace diseased, non-functioning bone marrow with healthy functioning bone marrow (for conditions such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, and sickle cell anemia).
- Regenerate a new immune system that will fight existing or residual leukemia or other cancers not killed by the chemotherapy or radiation used in the transplant.
- Replace the bone marrow and restore its normal function after high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation are given to treat a malignancy. This process is often called rescue (for diseases such as lymphoma and neuroblastoma).
- Replace bone marrow with genetically healthy functioning bone marrow to prevent further damage from a genetic disease process (such as Hurler’s syndrome, adrenoleukodystrophy or severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)).
About ProtoKinetix, Incorporated
ProtoKinetix is a molecular biotechnology company that has developed and patented a family of hyper stable, potent glycopeptides (AAGP®) that enhance both engraftment and protection of transplanted cells used in regenerative medicine. Due to the results achieved over the last four years of testing, the University of Alberta has begun Phase 1 human clinical trials. Additional studies will be expanded to include whole organ transplantation and all therapies that are being developed globally to date; diabetes, retinal degeneration, cardiac repair and many other degenerative conditions. In addition, we are studying the potential impact on several cancer therapies.
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The information discussed in this press release includes “forward looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included herein concerning, among other things, planned capital expenditures, future cash flows and borrowings, pursuit of potential acquisition opportunities, our financial position, business strategy and other plans and objectives for future operations, are forward looking statements. These forward looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “may,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “achievable,” “anticipate,” “will,” “continue,” “potential,” “should,” “could,” and similar terms and phrases. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward looking statements are reasonable, they do involve certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties and are not (and should not be considered to be) guarantees of future performance. Among these risks are those set forth in a Form 10-K filed on February 21, 2017. It is important that each person reviewing this release understand the significant risks attendant to the operations of ProtoKinetix. ProtoKinetix disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement made here.
For further information, please contact:
Clarence E. Smith
President and Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: 304-299-5070
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @ProtoKinetix
ProtoKinetix, Inc.