ST. HELIER, Jersey--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New preclinical data on Novocure’s (NASDAQ: NVCR) Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy revealed a more thorough understanding of how the therapy works at a cellular level. As an anti-mitotic treatment, TTFields interfere with cancer cell division and result in cancer cell death.
“We believe a more thorough understanding of the basic science of TTFields will enable us to advance our therapeutic systems and further improve patient outcomes.”
The data were published on Dec. 11, 2015, in Scientific Reports. Scientific Reports is a peer-reviewed journal published on Nature.com, a website that receives more than 8 million unique visitors a month.
“These new findings add to the growing body of research that explains the underlying mechanism of how TTFields therapy kills cancer cells,” said Moshe Giladi, PhD, Head of Preclinical Research at Novocure. “We believe a more thorough understanding of the basic science of TTFields will enable us to advance our therapeutic systems and further improve patient outcomes.”
The results demonstrated the following:
- TTFields decreased the ratio between polymerized and total tubulin, and prevented spindles from forming properly during mitosis in cancer cells – the first direct evidence of this effect.
- Aberrant mitotic events induced by TTFields led to abnormal chromosome segregation, cellular multi-nucleation and a reduction in clonogenic potential, thus activating various forms of cell death. While cells treated with TTFields can die during mitotic arrest, they more commonly divide and die during the following interphase.
- The effect of TTFields on cell viability and clonogenic survival depended on cell division rate, with rapidly dividing cells being more sensitive to treatment. Extending treatment duration enhanced efficacy in slowly dividing cells.
Read the full article published in Scientific Reports.
About Tumor Treating Fields Therapy
Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy is delivered by a portable, non-invasive medical device designed for continuous use by patients. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that TTFields therapy slows and reverses tumor growth by inhibiting mitosis, the process by which cells divide and replicate. TTFields therapy creates low intensity, alternating electric fields within a tumor that exert physical forces on electrically charged cellular components, preventing the normal mitotic process and causing cancer cell death.
About Novocure
Novocure is a Jersey Isle oncology company pioneering a novel therapy for solid tumors called TTFields. Novocure’s US operations are based in Portsmouth, NH and New York, NY. Additionally, the company has offices in Germany, Switzerland, and Japan and a research center in Haifa, Israel. For additional information about the company, please visit www.novocure.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/novocure.
Forward-Looking Statements
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Novocure
Ashley Cordova, 212-767-7558
acordova@novocure.com
