BELTSVILLE, Md., Sept. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NextCure, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering and developing novel, first-in-class immunomedicines to treat cancer and other immune-related diseases, today announced the publication of a review article in the online journal Frontiers in Immunology, highlighting the need for targeting tumor collagen in the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the tumor microenvironment to enhance anti-tumor immunity.

“Emerging data on the effects of dysregulated collagen in the ECM show that it modulates accessibility and activity of immune cells within the TME, leading to suboptimal oncology treatment outcomes,” said Solomon Langermann, Ph.D., NextCure’s chief scientific officer. “A key aspect of what we highlighted in this review is that an expanded understanding and cross-fertilization within the fields of tumor matrix biology, cancer biology, and immunology will contribute to improving the efficacy of cancer therapeutics. Importantly, it will enable the development of new classes of therapeutics to address the unmet needs of cancer patients who do not benefit from current therapies. This is a key focus of our ongoing NC410 clinical trial.”

The publication, titled “Regulation of Tumor Immunity and Immunotherapy by the Tumor Collagen Extracellular Matrix,” details how ECM components, specifically collagen, have an active role in immune regulation when dysregulated. Collagen acts as a ligand and interacts with receptors on immune cells to inhibit immune cell subpopulations in the TME. Such interactions disable anti-tumor immune responses and promote tumor growth. In addition, the review highlights how the structural components of the dysregulated ECM create a physical barrier to immune infiltration, further impeding the overall immune response and contributing to tumor progression. The ECM is a major factor in facilitating not only tumor progression, but resistance to various therapeutic treatments, including immunotherapy.

The review was published in collaboration with Nordic Bioscience A/S, a world-leading ECM biomarker specialist.

About NC410
NC410 is a first-in-class immunomedicine designed to block immune suppression mediated by LAIR-1, an immunomodulatory receptor expressed on T cells and myeloid cells, including dendritic cells, a type of antigen presenting cell. In preclinical research, it has been shown that LAIR-1 inhibits T cell function and myeloid activity. In preclinical studies, NC410 blocks the negative effects of LAIR-1 and promotes T cell function and myeloid cell activity. NextCure believes NC410 has the potential to treat multiple cancer types.

About NextCure, Inc.
NextCure is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering and developing novel, first-in-class immunomedicines to treat cancer and other immune-related diseases. Through our proprietary FIND-IO™ platform, we study various immune cells to discover and understand targets and structural components of immune cells and their functional impact in disease in order to develop immunomedicines. Our focus is to bring hope and new treatments to patients who do not respond to current cancer therapies, patients whose cancer progresses despite treatment and patients with cancer types not adequately addressed by available therapies. http://www.nextcure.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “intends,” “hope,” “forward” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements about NextCure’s plans, objectives, and intentions with respect to the discovery of immunomedicine targets and the discovery and development of immunomedicines. Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others: our limited operating history and no products approved for commercial sale; our history of significant losses; our need to obtain additional financing; risks related to clinical development, including that early clinical data may not be confirmed by later clinical results; risks that pre-clinical research may not be confirmed in clinical trials; risks related to marketing approval and commercialization; and the unproven approach to the discovery and development of product candidates based on our FIND-IO platform. More detailed information on these and additional factors that could affect NextCure’s actual results are described in NextCure’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including NextCure’s most recent Form 10-K and subsequent Form 10-Q. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. NextCure assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, even if expectations change.

Investor Inquiries
Timothy Mayer, Ph.D.
NextCure, Inc.
Chief Operating Officer
(240) 762-6486
IR@nextcure.com