Senesco Technologies : “HELPING TO CURE CANCER AND FEED THE WORLD” (Part Fifteen)

The Hygiology Post is presenting information about a company that seems to have much potential to help many people. 2012 has appeared to be a pivotal year in determining how helpful the patented technologies may actually be for people.

Senesco Technologies has continued to update information on its web site (https://www.senesco.com/; obtained on 12-10-12). As a matter of disclosure : The author continues to be a current shareholder in the company.

The Senesco Technologies web site ( https://www.senesco.com/newsitem.php?id=269; obtained on 12-10-12) has today posted relevant information about its about its research. Here is an excerpt :

“12/10/2012

Senesco Provides Summary of SNS01-T Progress in Phase 1b/2a Trial Interim Results presented at ASH

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (December 10th, 2012) – Senesco Technologies, Inc. (‘Senesco’ or the ‘Company’) (OTC QB: SNTI) reported today that interim results from the on-going Phase 1b/2a study were presented yesterday by Dr. John Lust, the PI at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN at the 54th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia. As previously disclosed, cohort 1 was completed in August, 2012 and currently two of the planned three patients in cohort 2 have completed dosing. No drug-related serious adverse events or disease limiting toxicities have been recorded to date.”

In multiple myeloma, normal plasma cells have transformed into malignant myeloma cells that accumulate in the bone marrow, where they produce large quantities of a protein called monoclonal (M) protein that is released into the blood stream. A high level of M-protein in the blood is an important characteristic of multiple myeloma. Progressively increasing M-protein levels is a marker of worsening disease and a reduction in M-protein is an indicator of a tumor response. Normally plasma cells account for approximately 5% of the cells in the bone marrow. In multiple myeloma, plasma cell content of the bone marrow typically exceeds 10%. Reductions in the percent of plasma cells in the bone marrow are representative of the partial elimination of tumor cells and provide an estimate of drug-induced apoptosis (death) of myeloma cells.

Blood levels of M-protein were measured using serum protein electrophoresis. For patients 41-002 and 42-002 in cohort 1, serum levels of monoclonal (M) protein remained within 25% of the baseline values (3.6, 3.0 g/dL respectively) at weeks 3 (3.9, 2.8 g/dL) and 6 (4.2, 2.8 g/dL), stable disease. For patient 42-002 M-protein stayed within 25% of baseline at week 10 (3.2 g/dL), i.e., 4 weeks after the end of treatment. M-protein levels for patient 43-001 increased from baseline to week 3 by 26% and from baseline to week 6 by 30%. Bone marrow plasma cells were measured by morphologic assessment of bone marrow samples at baseline and the end of treatment. Indicative of the partial disappearance of cancer cells, the plasma cell levels for patients 41-002 and 42-002 declined from 70% to 50% (a 29% reduction), and from 50% to 15% (a 70% reduction) respectively. Plasma cell levels for patient 43-001 increased from 70% at baseline to 97% at end of treatment.

‘We are pleased that two patients have completed dosing in group 2 in the study, stated Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Senesco. ‘After patient three is finished early in 2013 and if the Data Review Committee gives the go ahead, we expect to increase the treatment dose to 0.2 mg/kg in group 3, a fourfold increase over cohort 2.’

In cohort 2, one multiple myeloma patient and one diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patient have completed 6 weeks of dosing. For the multiple myeloma patient, serum levels of M-protein remained within 25% of the baseline value (1.5 g/dL) at weeks 3 (1.2 g/dL) and 6 (1.2 g/dL). The plasma cell level in this patient declined from 95% to 90%. Tumor response in the DLBCL patient will be assessed by tumor imaging and is not yet completed.”

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Louis DeCola, Jr.                                    © 2012 The Hygiology Post ®