Xenetic Biosciences Reveals Promising Preclinical Data for DNase I in Cancer Therapy

Xenetic Biosciences, Inc. presented encouraging preclinical findings at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Spring Meeting in 2025. The study highlights the potential of DNase I to enhance the effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies for cancer treatment. Specifically, DNase I was shown to degrade neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), allowing for improved T cell infiltration and restored functionality. This combination approach, tested in a B16 melanoma murine model, showed suppressed lung metastasis and extended survival rates compared to CAR T cell monotherapy alone.

The research indicates that DNase I not only boosts the tumor-fighting potential of CAR T cells but also reduces T cell exhaustion markers such as PD-1 and TIM-3. This suggests a mitigation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment effects, thus enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of current treatments.

Xenetic is advancing its DNase-based technology toward Phase 1 clinical trials, aiming to address unmet needs in treating pancreatic carcinoma and other solid tumors. Initial studies combining DNase I with chemotherapy and immunotherapies in colorectal cancer models have been completed, with plans to continue exploring this promising therapeutic strategy.