Shuttle Pharmaceuticals’ HDAC6 inhibitor shows immune response stimulation

Shuttle Pharmaceuticals announced the publication of a manuscript reporting on the ability of Shuttle’s lead Histone deacetylase 6 – HDAC6 – inhibitor drug candidate – SP-2-225 – to stimulate the innate immune system following radiation therapy. The manuscript was published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, a scientific journal affiliated with the American Association for Cancer Research. The report highlights to the scientific and financial community how our novel selective inhibitor (SP-2-225) is able to target the HDAC6 function in tumors to inhibit tumor growth and enhance the M1/M2 ratio of infiltrating macrophages within tumors as a combination therapy with RT,” commented Anatoly Dritschilo, CEO. “These observations support a strategy to advance the use of selective HDAC6 inhibitors to improve antitumor immune responses and prevent tumor relapse post-radiation therapy.” RT is a curative cancer treatment modality that imparts damage to cellular DNA, induces immunogenic cell death, and activates antitumor immunity. Acute proinflammatory responses mediated by anticancer M1 macrophages are observed in the immediate aftermath following RT. However, after a few days, these M1 macrophages are converted to anti-inflammatory and pro-cancer M2 phenotype, leading to cancer resistance and underlying potential tumor relapse.