How It Works
Our initial therapies are based on clinical experience. Being female and having a history of pregnancy are associated with decreased incidence and improved stage specific survival for many cancers, including melanoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and colon carcinomas.
Although the mechanism underlying this protective effect has remained unknown since it was first appreciated over 50 years ago, the clinical association suggests that female sex hormone signaling may protect against cancer. We believe that understanding the mechanisms responsible for the female protective effect will lead to identification of new therapeutic targets for cancer.
We have recently demonstrated that activation of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) mediates these effects. Linnaeus’ lead compound, LNS8801, is a specific agonist of GPER and has activity across a range of preclinical cancer models. In addition to having significant activity alone, LNS8801 has potent combinatorial effects when combined with modern immunotherapies.
We Listen to the Clinical Experience
We allow it to inform the science that drives the development of new treatments to treat cancer.