Technology Based on Pancreatic Proenzyme Therapy

Pancreatic Proenzyme
Therapy

Metastasis occurs because a program inside the cell called the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is activated, which causes epithelial cancer cells to become invasive and stem cell-like, allowing these cancer cells to spread and metastasize. Our lead product, PRP, contains a formulation consisting of two proenzymes mixed in a synergetic ratio.

Pancreatic Proenzyme<br>Therapy

Latest Developments

Propanc Biopharma Initiates Development of Bio-Analytical Assay in Preparation for Human Trials

Propanc Biopharma Commences Drug Discovery Research Collaboration

The importance of enzyme therapy

Enzyme therapy allows us to fight cancer, using natural elements already found within our organism. Enzymes are natural proteins that stimulate and accelerate biological reactions in the body. The enzymes that are secreted by the exocrine pancreas are essential for the digestion of proteins and fats.

More than one hundred years ago, Professor John Beard first proposed that the pancreatic enzymes represent the body’s primary defense against cancer and would be useful as a cancer treatment. Since then, several scientists have endorsed Beard´s hypothesis with encouraging data from patient treatment.

Anti-cancer Effects of Proenzymes

Proenzymes suppress pathways relating to the EMT and metastasis. The EMT is a biological process by which cells become motile and invasive, but in cancer stem cells (CSCs), results in metastasis, a process whereby secondary tumors are formed often in remote distances from a primary tumor, causing the cancer to return and spread.

Proenzyme therapy could be an effective tool in the fight against metastatic cancer, which remains the single biggest cause of patient death for sufferers.

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Weakening cancer cell structure

In a cancer cell, proteolytic proenzymess have the effect of converting globular actin into tight filamentous actin, which causes the cancer cell structure to collapse and induce cell death. This reduces tumor volume and is often noticed in clinical practice.

Inhibiting growth of blood vessels

Other mechanisms are thought to also contribute to the anticancer effects of proteolytic proenzymess, including inactivation of growth factors, which can often contribute to cancer cell growth. Data has been generated showing PRP also inhibits the growth of blood vessels. Scientific data published by Desser et al in 2001 has shown oral therapy with proteolytic enzymes decreases excessive TGF-beta (tumor growth factor) levels in human blood.

Triggering cell death

Additional effects, which have been observed, include triggering cell necrosis (cell death), induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death), the induction of cell differentiation (i.e. inducing cancer cells to exhibit more normal cell behavior), the inhibition of angiogenesis (preventing new blood vessel formation) in tumors, and anti-metastases (prevention of tumor spreading) by increasing adhesion between tumor cells.

PRP mode of action

PRP treatment regulates up to four relevant pathways related to cancer spread and metastasis, such as TGFβ, Hippo, Wnt and Notch pathways. In short, PRP treatment promotes the up-regulation of RAC1b which avoids the hyper-activation of the p38 pathway induced by the TGFβ pathway leading to the phosphorylation of YAP, which also explains the blockage of the canonical Wnt pathway, the inhibition of the Notch pathway as well as the cytoplasmic location of β−catenin in treated cells. That cascade of reactions implies the disruption of the CSC phenotype and the reversion of the malignant epithelial to mesenchymal transition process that lead to tumour invasion. In fact, PRP downregulation of TGFβ-1, had implications in tumour engraftment. In vivo experiments using a nude mice model, in which tumours were induced by inoculation of pancreatic CSCs, showed that PRP impaired CSCs subpopulation activation, niche formation and tumour initiation.

To have a wider view of PRP mode of action please read the scientific publication: Hernandez el at., Sci Rep. 2019 Aug 6;9(1):11359.


Halting Cancer Cells’ Ability to Invade and Metastasize

We are developing a therapeutic solution for the treatment of patients with advanced stages of cancer targeting solid tumors. Our therapy has anti-cancer effects that block tumor growth and its aggressive dissemination.

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Significant Market Opportunity for Cancer Treatment

According to the World Health Organization, cancer deaths are expected to increase:

More Than 10M People by 2020
More Than 13M People by 2030