Piering into Patient Tumors

Pieris Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCQB:PIRS) is turning to Stanford University to test its bispecific Anticalins in mice transplanted with tumors taken straight from the clinic. By cutting out the extra step of culturing the cells between excising and grafting the tumor, the partners expect to produce a better mimic of the patient's tumor than standard patient-derived xenografts produce.

Anticalins are modified versions of lipocalins, a class of low molecular weight plasma proteins that transport molecules throughout the circulation. Pieris is pursuing the molecules for cancer, anemia, asthma, autoimmunity and ophthalmology...