Zona Pellucida 3 Cancer (ZP3C), a cancer immunotherapy, is in pre-clinical development phase. Proof of principle of ZP3 immunotherapy was obtained in a transgenic animal mouse model for granulosa cell ovarian cancer and another ZP3 expressing mice tumour model.
A mixed humoral/cellular response was demonstrated preventing the formation of tumours as well as reducing the size of existing tumours and preventing the occurrence of metastases. ZP3 immunotherapy can be applied to ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, (non-small cell lung) cancer and other ZP3C expressing cancers. Three recent patents are filed in August 2009 (prostate cancer [PC]) and October 2017 (lung cancer [LuCa]) and June 2022 (ZP3C) so the project is patent protected until 2029 for PC, 2037 for LuCa and 2042 for the ZP3C antigen. Pantarhei is looking for partners to develop ZP3C immunotherapy for active immunisation. For more information, see the website of Pantarhei Oncology.
The Zona Pellucida (ZP) is a glycoprotein matrix layer around the oocytes (egg cells) in the ovary, that plays an essential role in fertilisation and implantation of an embryo. The human ZP layer contains four different immunogenic glycoproteins (ZP1-4), that are specific for the ovary and for some early stages of spermatozoa, but do not occur anywhere else in the female or male body, implying potential safety (no cross-reactivity) when ZP3C is used as immune target.
In collaboration with the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Turku, Finland, Pantarhei has discovered that some malignant tumours such as ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer express ZP3C antigens abundantly in 60-90% of the cases in the primary tumour as well as in metastases.
Based on these findings, Pantarhei has patent protected the potential use of the ZP3C antigen for the treatment of ZP3C expressing cancers. Since earlier unpublished research has shown that ZP3 is the strongest immunogen, the treatment concept is focused on active immunisation against the ZP3C antigen. The demonstration of expression of ZP3C by a tumour is a biomarker for treatment.