KORTUC INC. (California, USA; CEO: Kazu Matsuda) is pleased to announce the start of a joint research project with Gustave Roussy (Paris, France), one of Europe’s leading cancer research institutes, to evaluate the effect of our novel radiosensitizer KORTUC on FLASH radiotherapy.
In the US and EU countries, more than half of all cancer patients receive radiotherapy. However, many solid tumors such as breast and lung cancer develop hypoxic (low-oxygen) regions as they grow, which makes them resistant to radiation.
KORTUC is a novel radiosensitizer designed to overcome this challenge by supplying oxygen to tumor tissue and inactivating antioxidant enzymes that cause radioresistance. It is currently under development as a treatment for breast, cervical, and rectal cancers.
FLASH radiotherapy is an emerging next-generation technology that delivers radiation at an ultra-high dose rate—hundreds to thousands of times faster than conventional methods. It has drawn worldwide attention for its “FLASH effect”, in which normal tissue damage is significantly reduced while maintaining strong tumor control. If fully realized, FLASH could transform the landscape of radiation oncology. However, its underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear and under investigation by researchers around the world.
At Gustave Roussy, Professor Eric Deutsch, Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology, has shown strong interest in KORTUC’s distinctive unique mechanism of action. Together, our teams aim to explore the potential of KORTUC as a radiosensitizer to further enhance the therapeutic benefits of this promising new radiation modality.
This collaboration marks an exciting step forward toward a new era of safer and more effective cancer radiotherapy.