NUC-7738 Reprograms Cancer Cell Lipid Metabolism to Make Tumors Less Aggressive and Promote Cancer Cell Death

NUC-7738 Alters Ribosome Biogenesis and the Regulation of Genes Critical for Cancer Growth and Survival

SAN DIEGO, April  09, 2024  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NuCana plc (NASDAQ: NCNA) announced two posters being presented today at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting.

Title: Exposing the Heterogeneity of the Lipidome in the TME of Cutaneous Melanoma Following Treatment with NUC-7738 in Combination with anti-PD-1 Therapy
Presentation date and time: April 9, 2024 from 1:30pm-5:00pm PDT
Abstract number: 6222

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex interplay of various cell types, extracellular matrix, signalling molecules and physical factors that collectively influence tumor growth. Lipids play an important role in the TME, contributing to various aspects of cancer progression and therapy resistance. A novel methodology, including imaging mass spectrometry, was developed to investigate the spatial relationship between the lipidome and TME using paired biopsies from patients treated with NUC-7738. NUC-7738 was found to increase polyunsaturated fatty acids within the TME, which is indicative of a shift to a less aggressive cancer type and to decrease monounsaturated fatty acids which are associated with malignant behavior and chemotherapy resistance. In addition, NUC-7738 was shown to reduce lipids associated with protection against cancer cell death and to increase lipids associated with cancer cell death. Multi-modal imaging indicated that this lipid reprogramming is a result of the alteration in enzymes associated with lipid metabolism.

Title: RNA Regulatory Disruption by 3'-dATP: A Novel Approach to Inhibit Ribosome Biogenesis in Cancer
Presentation date and time: April 9, 2024 from 1:30pm-5:00pm PDT
Abstract number: 5650

Ribosome biogenesis is a complex process that plays a pivotal role in protein translation which can become dysregulated in cancer. Thus, ribosome targeting therapies are an attractive treatment modality for anti-cancer medicines. This study investigates the impact of NUC-7738, which generates high intracellular levels of the active anti-cancer metabolite 3'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate (3'-dATP), on the generation of mRNAs and proteins associated with ribosome biogenesis. Data from cancer cell lines, confirmed using paired biopsies of patients treated with NUC-7738, demonstrated that NUC-7738 significantly modulated the levels of RNAs which are important for translational control of protein synthesis. Furthermore, data also highlight NUC-7738's potential to influence the regulation of genes critical for cancer cell growth and survival.

Hugh S. Griffith, NuCana's Founder and Chief Executive Officer said: "We are excited to present these results as we believe they demonstrate NUC-7738's multi-faceted mechanisms of action. They also further explain the compelling clinical data we have generated with NUC-7738 as a monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab. We recently presented clinical data from the ongoing NuTide:701 study of NUC-7738 in combination with pembrolizumab which demonstrated that NUC-7738 may potentiate the activity of pembrolizumab in patients who were refractory to PD-1 inhibitor-based therapy. Our translational data help us to understand these clinical observations and guide the optimal development pathway for NUC-7738. We look forward to sharing additional data for NUC-7738 in 2024."