Silence Therapeutics Unveils New Findings: SIL204 May Help Immune System Identify and Attack Tumors

Israeli company Silence Therapeutics reported new preclinical findings for SIL204, an RNA interference-based treatment. The findings suggest the therapy may help the immune system identify and attack tumors by increasing MHC-I and FAS expression and reducing HLA-G. Data obtained in pancreatic and lung cancer cells strengthen the potential for combination with immunotherapy, but further studies are needed.

Israeli biotech company Silence Therapeutics (Nasdaq: SLXN) reported new preclinical findings for its lead candidate, SIL204, based on RNA interference technology. The findings indicate that SIL204 may not only silence the KRAS oncogene but also alter the tumor's interaction with the immune system. In studies conducted on human pancreatic cancer cells and NSCLC lung cancer cells harboring KRAS mutations, the treatment acted on three immune pathways: increasing MHC-I expression, which helps cancer cells present antigens to the immune system; increasing FAS expression, the "death receptor," potentially enabling programmed cell death; and decreasing HLA-G expression, a molecule that suppresses the immune response. KRAS mutations occur in about 90% of pancreatic cancer cases and in 30%–35% of lung adenocarcinoma cases. The findings strengthen the possibility that SIL204 could turn "cold" tumors more sensitive to immunotherapy and support combination with anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 therapies. However, the article emphasizes that these are only preclinical findings, and further studies are needed to assess clinical benefit in patients.