Gemin X Biotechnologies (Montreal, PQ)

CMDF Investment: $9,694,000.00
Focus: Cancer  
www.geminx.com

Capitalizing on several key discoveries in programmed cell death (apoptosis) made by scientists at McGill University; Gemin X has an exciting technology platform in the area of apoptosis that in the lab cause a variety of tumour cells to self-destruct without harming healthy cells. Apoptosis is an important and normal biological process that plays a vital role in the physiological maintenance of a variety of tissues in the body. Abnormal control of apoptosis can have serious consequences and often leads to a wide range of human diseases. The development of cancer; as well as the pathology of viral infections; results in part from a failure of cells to undergo apoptosis when genetically signalled to do so. Cancer cells contain the keys to their own demise. Since cancer cells arise when the genetic "switches" regulating normal apoptosis fail; instead of being removed; pre-cancerous cells remain and often grow unrestrained. Reinstating these switches could prove a very effective therapeutic strategy in destroying cancer tumours. This is why apoptosis; or programmed cell death; is rapidly becoming one of the hottest areas of biotechnology. Among the therapeutic targets of interest to Gemin X is an apoptosis-suppressing protein; called Bcl-2. Although it is accepted that Bcl-2 plays a key role in allowing cancer cells to survive; historically Bcl-2 has been an elusive target for developing novel therapeutic approaches to cancer. Bcl-2 is a member of a family of genes that regulate apoptosis in the cell. In the case of cancer; Bcl-2 overrides the normal cell death; or apoptotic process; allowing cancer cells to survive and multiply. Current chemotherapy regimens for treating cancer are further complicated by Bcl-2; which may cause cancer cells to become resistant to chemotherapy. Specific cancers that demonstrate overproduction of Bcl-2 include breast; colorectal and hormone-resistant prostate cancer. Gemin X has discovered GX011; a compound that targets Bcl-2; and that has demonstrated the ability to specifically reverse the inhibition of apoptosis in cancer cell lines and may provide an exciting new method for treating many major cancers.