AntiCancer Announces Real-time Angiogenesis Animal Model For Cancer Research.

SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--March 30, 1998--Angiogenesis is the mechanism utilized by the human body to produce new blood vessels.

It occurs as a normal physiological process during prenatal development, the female reproductive cycle and wound healing. However, abnormal angiogenesis also occurs during the development of solid tumors and their metastases. AntiCancer Inc. has developed the first animal model capable of visualizing this effect "in situ" in a living animal.

Tumors require blood vessels to supply nutrients and oxygen to their cells. With access to a blood supply cancer is free to grow and spread. Without it, the tumor cannot grow larger than a pea and is non-lethal.

To allow them to keep growing, cancer cells release substances which induce angiogenesis and cause the formation of new capillaries. Researchers are currently exploiting this knowledge to develop angiogenesis inhibitors which "starve" the tumor cells to death. Many specialists consider this as one of the most promising areas of cancer research.

Unfortunately, until now there has been no relevant animal model which can be used to visualize angiogenesis as it initiates and progresses. Researchers have had to rely on the artificial model of the chorioantolic membrane (CAM) of the egg or exteriorized organ animal models.

At the American Association of Cancer Research meeting being held in New Orleans from March 29th through April 1st, AntiCancer Inc. will announce their new mouse model specially designed to visualize angiogenesis.

At this meeting AntiCancer will also make available to researchers cancer cell lines which have been genetically engineered with the jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene which causes the cells to fluoresce. These cancer cells can then be implanted into a special strain of mice where they grow and metastasize. Using special staining techniques scientists can clearly visualize the formation of the new blood vessels in the fluorescent tumors which indicate the onset of angiogenesis.

"We feel the availability of this new model, AngioBright(TM), will greatly facilitate the development of new anti-angiogenesis drugs in this very exciting area of cancer research," said Dr. Andrew Perry, president of AntiCancer's A/C Diagnostic division.

"Until now, research has been significantly impeded through lack of a convenient and relevant animal model of angiogenesis. We anticipate our new product will greatly enhance the research and bring hope to cancer sufferers." Indeed, the need for new chemotherapy agents has never been greater.

CONTACT: AntiCancer Inc.

Andrew Perry, 619/654-2555