{"id":"CU25448","slug":"a-potent-and-selective-pan--CU25448","source":{"id":"CU25448","dataset":"techtransfer","title":"A potent and selective pan-STING inhibitor for autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases","description_":"<p>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.</p>\r\r<h2>Unmet Need: Potent inhibitors to suppress diverse STING variants</h2>\r\r<p>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.</p>\r\r<h2>The Technology: Potent small molecule inhibitor effective across STING variants</h2>\r\r<p>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.</p>\r\r<p>This technology has been validated in human/mouse cell lines, primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and mouse models.</p>\r\r<h2>Applications:</h2>\r\r<ul>\r<li>Treatment for STING-associated autoimmune diseases</li>\r<li>Treatment for STING-associated neurodegenerative diseases</li>\r<li>Research tool for studying cGAS-STING pathway</li>\r<li>Combination therapy to modulate inflammation </li>\r<li>Drug discovery platform for next-generation STING-targeting therapeutics</li>\r</ul>\r\r<h2>Advantages:</h2>\r\r<ul>\r<li>Small molecule modality with therapeutic development potential</li>\r<li>High affinity binding with STING</li>\r<li>Potently inhibits multiple human STING variants</li>\r<li>Selectively suppresses aberrant cGAS-STING activation both in human PBMCs and in mouse models</li>\r<li>Favorable <i> in vivo </i> PK and other drug-like properties</li>\r<li>Therapeutic applicability across multiple STING-associated diseases</li>\r</ul>\r\r<h2>Lead Inventor:</h2>\r\r<p><a href=\"https://www.pharmacology.cuimc.columbia.edu/profile/yonghao-yu-phd\">Yonghao Yu, Ph.D.</a>  </p>\r\r<h2>Patent Information:</h2>\r\r<p>Patent Pending</p>\r\r<h2>Related Publications:</h2>\r\r<h2>Tech Ventures Reference:</h2>\r\r<ul>\r<li><p>IR CU25448</p></li>\r<li><p>Licensing Contact: <a href=\"mailto:techtransfer@columbia.edu\">Joan Martinez</a> </p></li>\r</ul>\r","tags":["Agonist","Autoimmune disease","Combination therapy","Drug discovery","Endogenous retrovirus","Enzyme inhibitor","Inflammation","Neurodegenerative disease","Oligomer","Small molecule"],"file_number":"CU25448","collections":[],"meta_description":"Pan-STING covalent inhibitor blocks diverse STING variants, suppressing cGAS-STING inflammation in autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.","apriori_judge_output":"{\"scores\":{\"novelty\":4.0,\"potential_impact\":4.0,\"readiness\":4.0,\"scalability\":3.0,\"timeliness\":4.0},\"weighted_score\":4.0,\"risks\":[\"Covariant potency may raise safety concerns due to broad STING inhibition across variants.\",\"Covalent mechanism could pose off-target toxicity and safety/regulatory hurdles.\",\"Potential emergence of resistance or compensatory pathways in chronic autoimmune/neurodegenerative settings.\",\"Need for clear IP landscape and freedom-to-operate assessment as a risk.\"],\"one_sentence_take\":\"Strong novelty and impact with advanced readiness, but moderate scalability and notable safety/regulatory risks due to covalent, pan-STING inhibition; address IP and long-term safety for a clearer path to clinical translation.\"}","inventors":["Jianwei Hao","Xudong Wang","Yonghao Yu"],"manager":"Joan Martinez","depts":["Molecular Pharmacology & Therapeutics","Pharmacology"],"divs":["Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC)","CUMC"],"date_released":"2026-05-29"},"highlight":{},"matched_queries":null,"score":0.0}