This technology is a method for treating solid tumors that relies on dynein inhibition to enhance natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity.
The development of immunotherapies for cancer treatment has led to improvements in patient outcomes in several types of cancer. Unfortunately, the tumor microenvironment of solid tumors can be highly immunosuppressive, limiting the efficacy of immunotherapy in these tumors. Current research focuses on targeting specific mechanisms of immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment to improve immunotherapy response rates; however, this approach yields varying results in different tumors due to the diverse immunosuppressive mechanisms present in distinct tumor microenvironments. Thus, there is a need for therapies that can enhance immune cell cytotoxicity despite immunosuppression induced by the tumor microenvironment.
This technology is a therapeutic approach that blocks dynein function to amplify the ability of natural killer (NK) cells to kill cells in solid tumors. Blocking dynein function induces the dispersion of lytic granules, resulting in rapid and enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity. Since this technology modifies and amplifies the ability of NK cells to kill tumor cells, it can be effective independent of the specific immunosuppressive pathways induced by the tumor microenvironment. As such, this technology can be used to directly boost anti-tumor cytotoxicity or in combination with other cellular therapies to improve their efficacy in treating solid tumor malignancies.
Jordan Scott Orange, M.D.
Patent Pending
IR CU24341
Licensing Contact: Jerry Kokoshka