ITINERIS 2

Project objectives

Recent scientific results obtained also in clinical trials (Clin Cancer Res 2006;12(9):2944-50) have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of flavonolignans, natural products obtained from plants, in the chemoprevention of colorectal cancer and as supplements in pharmacological therapy. The aim of the research is the evaluation and validation in murine models of colon carcinogenesis of new proprietary formulations of specific purified derivatives. The murine carcinogenesis model (Tanaka T. et al. Cancer Sci 2003 Nov, 94(11):965–973), induced by chemical carcinogens already demonstrated in human carcinogenesis, presents a very rapid time-course (3 months) but reproducing all the phases of colon carcinogenesis (inflammation, dysplastic crypts, adenomas and invasive carcinomas), with excellent correspondence to the molecular, genetic and epigenetic events of human colon carcinoma. The data collected can be used both to validate preventive or therapeutic protocols and to develop analytical methods for follow-up and to determine therapeutic endpoints in subsequent targeted clinical trials.

The development of these molecules and new formulations is among the new specific objectives of the IBI Lorenzini R&D, while the study of colon carcinogenesis, new targeted therapeutic approaches and development of new specific epigenetic markers of tumor stem cells are among the specific research objectives of the Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology of theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma.

Start and end date

20/02/2012 - 31/12/2014

Project Manager

Prof. Vito Michele Fazio - Scientific manager

Coordinating institution of the project

Filas SpA

Other Institutions involved

IBI Lorenzini SpA

Funding source(s).

FILAS, art. 182 paragraph 4 letter c of the Regional Law 04/06 – PST, ITINERIS2