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news.US-based clinical-stage biotechnology firm Nuvilex has signed a research agreement with the University of Northern Colorado to conduct initial studies in the development of cancer treatments that combine the proprietary live-cell encapsulation technology known as Cell-in-a-Box with constituents of Cannabis known as cannabinoids.
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University of Northern Colorado professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Medical Marijuana Sciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nuvilex, Richard Hyslop will be responsible for carrying out the studies.
Initial studies to be carried out by Hyslop will be to develop methods for the identification, separation and quantification of constituents (prodrugs) of Cannabis that may be used in combination with Nuvilex’s Cell-in-a-Box technology.
Additionally, studies will be undertaken to identify the appropriate cell type that can convert the selected cannabinoid prodrugs from their naturally-occurring forms into substances that are capable of killing cancer cells.
Once identified, the selected cells will be encapsulated using the Cell-in-a-Box technology.
The company said that the encapsulated cells and cannabinoid prodrugs identified by these studies will then be combined and used for future studies to assess their anticancer effectiveness.
Nuvilex president and CEO Kenneth Waggoner said Dr. Hyslop and his team at the University of Northern Colorado will seek to establish a solid foundation for future preclinical studies and clinical trials that will be needed as Medical Marijuana Sciences develops treatments for serious and deadly diseases such as brain and pancreatic cancers.
"The goal is to develop a Cell-in-a-Box/cannabinoid combination that has anticancer effects coupled with low toxicity similar in concept to Nuvilex’s pancreatic cancer treatment currently being prepared for Phase 2b clinical trials that uses the Cell-in-a-Box technology with low doses of the chemotherapeutic drug ifosfamide," Waggoner said.