Biotechnology companies STORM Therapeutics and AlidaBio have announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of cancer therapies targeting RNA modifications. 

STORM will utilise AlidaBio’s EpiPlex and EpiScout next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms to detect and quantitatively measure transcript-specific N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modifications, resulting from METTL3 inhibition.  

Post-transcriptional modification of RNA, including N6-methyladenosine (m6A), adds a crucial layer of regulation to RNA metabolism, influencing processes like synthesis, stability, maturation, transport, and translation. The METTL3/14 methyltransferase complex catalyses the deposition of m6A, and inhibition of METTL3 reduces global m6A levels, disrupting RNA regulation.  

STORM and AlidaBio will focus on the impact of METTL3 inhibition on RNA regulation, specifically m6A dynamics, in clinical samples from cancer patients treated with STC-15, currently in Phase I/II clinical trials. 

The teams will correlate changes in m6A modifications at the transcript level with clinical response to treatment, identifying baseline m6A features that could predict sensitivity to METTL3 inhibition.  

The collaboration aims to validate m6A-regulated genes and cell types affected by METTL3 inhibition, exploring epitranscriptomic biomarkers to guide patient selection and enrichment strategies for future clinical trials. 

“AlidaBio has demonstrated exceptional expertise and leadership in the field of RNA modification analysis, particularly through the development of advanced NGS technologies capable of detecting key epitranscriptomic modifications in both healthy and diseased settings,” said Dr Eric Martin, Chief Development Officer of STORM Therapeutics. 

“Through this collaboration, our shared goal is to extend our understanding of transcript-specific m6A changes in relation to clinical benefit and patient response, to improve outcomes for cancer patients treated with STC-15.” 

“By applying the advanced features of our EpiPlex and EpiScout platforms, we aim to advance the clinical development and efficacy evaluation of STC-15 through comprehensive m6A biology analysis in patient samples,” added Dr Gudrun Stengel, Chief Executive Officer of AlidaBio. 

“Our collaborative efforts are focused on generating deeper insights to ultimately deliver greater benefits for patients.” 

 

Bruno Quinney, Content Team, DDW