A potent and selective pan-STING inhibitor for autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases

This technology is a potent and selective pan-STING inhibitor that effectively targets multiple STING variants to suppress aberrant cGAS-STING signaling in autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.

Unmet Need: Potent inhibitors to suppress diverse STING variants

Dysregulation of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway has been implicated in a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, making STING an attractive therapeutic target. Furthermore, recent studies have provided compelling evidence pointing to the critical role of aberrant STING signaling in driving neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS and frontotemporal dementia. However, the development of effective STING inhibitors has faced several challenges, including the absence of druggable pockets, high-affinity endogenous ligand binding, and substantial variation across STING variants. As such, there remains a need for potent STING inhibitors capable of targeting multiple STING variants.

The Technology: Potent small molecule inhibitor effective across STING variants

This technology is a small molecule inhibitor that covalently binds and suppresses multiple STING variants at high potency. By disrupting STING oligomerization, it effectively inhibits downstream cGAS-STING signaling. Its activity across diverse STING variants highlights its therapeutic potential for autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases driven by aberrant STING activation.

This technology has been validated in human/mouse cell lines, primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and mouse models.

Applications:

• Treatment for STING-associated autoimmune diseases
• Treatment for STING-associated neurodegenerative diseases
• Research tool for studying cGAS-STING pathway
• Combination therapy to modulate inflammation
• Drug discovery platform for next-generation STING-targeting therapeutics

Advantages:

• Small molecule modality with therapeutic development potential
• High affinity binding with STING
• Potently inhibits multiple human STING variants
• Selectively suppresses aberrant cGAS-STING activation both in human PBMCs and in mouse models
• Favorable in vivo PK and other drug-like properties
• Therapeutic applicability across multiple STING-associated diseases

Lead Inventor:

Yonghao Yu, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Related Publications:

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU25448

• Licensing Contact: Joan Martinez