Scientific collaboration with Qingdao Hailanshen Biotechnology Ltd (IP Agreement (Royalties)

Ongoing clinical trials
demonstrate that treatment
with natural anti-cancer
antibodies provides a 67%
increase in survival relative to
standard therapy alone.

Liver cancer is amongst the most common tumours
worldwide, with approximately 800,000 new cases
diagnosed each year. Most people are diagnosed
with advanced disease, which typically carries a
mere 9% five-year survival rate. There is an urgent
need to identify new technologies to improve liver
cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes.
University of the Highlands and Islands research
recently identified a novel role for naturally occurring
antibodies in treating liver and other cancers.
Specifically, in vitro studies established that natural
antibodies present in plasma isolated from healthy
donors can deliver increased tumour killing activity.
This project will establish the clinical utility of screening
anticancer antibodies in plasma and developing natural
antibody-based therapies to treat advanced liver cancer.
This involves screening healthy donor blood samples
for the presence of natural anti-cancer antibodies. Once
identified, samples with high levels of natural antibodies
will be purified and pooled for use as a novel therapy
in ongoing clinical trials taking place in China

Objectives
Perform large scale blood sample screening and plasma
enrichment for natural anti-cancer antibodies.
Secure intellectual property licenses to enable natural
antibody clinical trials.
Evaluate and publish results of these studies as
appropriate.

Potential impacts and outcomes
This project has established a new type of cancer therapy
based on the identification, purification and delivery of
natural anti-cancer antibodies. Successful demonstration
of this technology in ongoing trials would have significant
clinical and economic implications