This technology is a combinatorial treatment to target tumors harboring genetic alterations of the tumor suppressor gene Leucine Zipper-like Transcription Regulator 1 (LZTR1).
The gene LZTR1 encodes an enzyme required for normal protein turnover and mutations in LZTR1 has been found in several cancer types, including glioblastoma, hepatocellular, esophagogastric, colorectal, breast, and more. LZTR1’s substrates include the oncogenes EGFR and AXL, which accumulate in LZTR1 mutant tumors. Given the importance of this gene in tumor progression, combinatorial pharmacological treatments that inhibit EGFR, AXL, or other oncogenic targets of LZTR1 need to be developed to treat cancers involving LZTR1 mutations.
This technology is a combinatorial treatment consisting of inhibitors of various oncogenic LZTR1 substrates, particularly EGFR, AXL, and RIT1. While inhibiting these enzymes alone is not sufficient to treat LZTR1 mutant tumors, this multi-prong approach can significantly reduce tumor burden and prolong survival. Therefore this invention is a targeted therapeutic to cancer patients carrying LZTR1 mutations, as well as for Noonan syndrome and schwannomatosis, both of which involve LZTR1 mutations.
This technology has been validated with mice harboring LZTR1 deleted tumors using combinatorial inhibitors for EGFR and AXL.
Patent Issued (WO/2024/103032)
IR CU23141
Licensing Contact: Kristin Neuman