ALT – Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres

The development of our DDR platform has given us the ability to identify novel DDR targets in relevant disease setting where there is unmet medical need. As an example, alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) is a DDR-dependent mechanism used by cancer cells but not normal cells to regulate telomere length and avoid programmed cell death.

Up to 15% of all cancers are ALT dependent although for some tumor subtypes incidence of ALT may be as high as around 60-70%. Currently there are no targeted medicines specifically designed for treating ALT positive tumors highlighting an area of unmet need where novel DDR inhibitors may be useful. Artios’ DDR target identification and validation platform can be used to discover DDR targets that selectively disrupt processes required for ALT and thus tumor cell survival.