Early-stage research has shown that Allergy Therapeutics PLC’s (LON:AGY) adjuvant technology could potentially be used in the fight against cancer.
Allergy’s Microcrystalline Tyrosine (MCT) adjuvant system has long been used to help boost the immune systems of allergy sufferers.
But research carried out alongside the University of Oxford has shown that the combination of MCT and virus-like particles (VLPs) could potentially benefit people with cancer.
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The combination caused tumour regression in an “aggressive” melanoma (skin cancer) mouse model and initiated a “highly protective” immune response.
Typically, VLPs are quickly ‘washed away’ by the body due to their small size, but formulating them with bigger MCT meant they were exposed to the immune system for longer. This helped to induce “strong” responses from T-cells – a type of white blood cell that attacks cancer cells.
“Our strategy for growth with our adjuvant division, Bencard Adjuvant Systems, focuses on extending the use of MCT and VLPs in developing vaccines for unmet needs and disease areas beyond allergy that require an effective depot adjuvant,” said chief executive Manuel Llobet.
“This ground-breaking work, completed in collaboration with the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, supports this strategy and complements the existing work illustrating the potential of our adjuvant systems in disease areas such as influenza and malaria.”
Allergy shares were broadly flat at 9.2p on Tuesday.