Researchers Identify Intracellular Pathway of Alfacell's Onconase

Paper Published in Journal of Cell Science Shows ONCONASE Uptake in Cells Differs from other RNases

BLOOMFIELD, N.J., April 05, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alfacell Corporation today announced that European researchers have identified the pathway that ONCONASE (ranpirnase) follows to enter cells.

Published in the Journal of Cell Science (2007; 120: 1405-1411), a paper based on studies conducted at the University of Girona in Spain and the University of Montpellier II in France shows that ONCONASE enters cells using AP-2/clathrin-mediated endocytosis, enabling its subsequent delivery to the cytosol. The published data indicate that unlike other RNases, the ONCONASE endocytosis pathway is not targeted to lysosomes.

"ONCONASE has a very specific property in that it is selectively toxic to malignant cells," said Kuslima Shogen, Alfacell's chairman and chief executive officer. "The Journal of Cell Science paper is another reflection of the strong interest that the scientific and medical communities have in understanding ONCONASE's performance. Ongoing independent research like this at leading institutions is providing us with further data that is useful in our efforts to expand the potential therapeutic opportunities for our technology platform."