{"id":"CU26233","slug":"ferroptosis-inducing-mouse--CU26233","source":{"id":"CU26233","dataset":"techtransfer","title":"Ferroptosis-inducing mouse diet for selective tumor targeting with minimal systemic toxicity","description_":"<p>This technology is a specialized mouse diet that selectively induces ferroptosis in tumors <i> in vivo </i> to suppress tumor growth while preserving normal tissue function.</p>\r\r<h2>Unmet Need: Safe induction of tumor-selective ferroptosis <i> in vivo </i></h2>\r\r<p>Current approaches to induce ferroptosis in cancer primarily rely on small-molecule agents or genetic modulation, which often lack tumor selectivity and can lead to systemic toxicity like weight loss and organ failure in mice. Additionally, many strategies demonstrate efficacy <i> in vivo </i> but fail to translate effectively <i> in vivo </i> due to delivery limitations and off-target effects. There remains a need for approaches that can safely and selectively enhance ferroptosis within tumors while minimizing damage to normal tissues and organs in an <i> in vivo </i> system. </p>\r\r<h2>The Technology: Systemically safe diet for selective tumor ferroptosis induction <i> in vivo </i></h2>\r\r<p>This technology is a specialized dietary formulation, termed Harmonic chow, that modulates the <i> in vivo </i> metabolic environment to promote ferroptosis in tumor cells. Tumor cells, which often exhibit elevated iron levels and oxidative stress, are more susceptible to ferroptosis. In contrast, normal tissues maintain tighter regulation of redox balance, enabling selective targeting without widespread toxicity. By enhancing tumor sensitivity to ferroptosis, this approach provides a non-invasive strategy to suppress tumor growth and may enhance the efficacy of anticancer therapies.</p>\r\r<p>This technology has been validated in tumor-bearing mice. In tumor-bearing mouse models, administration of Harmonic chow reduced tumor volume without causing chronic weight loss.</p>\r\r<h2>Applications:</h2>\r\r<ul>\r<li>Dietary therapy for cancer treatment </li>\r<li>Research tool for studying ferroptosis biology and tumor metabolism <i> in vivo </i></li>\r<li>Platform for investigating tumor resistance mechanisms to ferroptosis-based therapies</li>\r<li>Preclinical model for evaluating combination strategies with ferroptosis-inducing agents</li>\r<li>Potential foundation for personalized nutrition strategies in oncology</li>\r</ul>\r\r<h2>Advantages:</h2>\r\r<ul>\r<li>Enables tumor-selective ferroptosis induction <i> in vivo </i></li>\r<li>Reduces tumor growth while preserving normal tissue function</li>\r<li>Demonstrates a favorable safety profile without chronic weight loss in mouse models</li>\r<li>Non-invasive, diet-based approach compared to conventional therapeutics</li>\r<li>Potential to enhance the efficacy of existing anti-cancer therapies</li>\r</ul>\r\r<h2>Lab Director:</h2>\r\r<p><a href=\"https://stockwelllab.fas.columbia.edu/people/brent-r-stockwell\">Brent R. Stockwell, Ph.D</a></p>\r\r<h2>Lead Inventor:</h2>\r\r<p><a href=\"https://stockwelllab.fas.columbia.edu/people/tal-hirschhorn\">Tal Hirschhorn, Ph.D</a></p>\r\r<h2>Related Publications:</h2>\r\r<h2>Tech Ventures Reference:</h2>\r\r<ul>\r<li><p>IR CU26233</p></li>\r<li><p>Licensing Contact: <a href=\"mailto:techtransfer@columbia.edu\">Joan Martinez</a> </p></li>\r</ul>\r","tags":["Cancer immunotherapy","Metabolism","Neuromodulation","Oxidative stress","Redox","Small molecule"],"file_number":"CU26233","collections":[],"meta_description":"Dietary program Harmonic chow induces tumor-specific ferroptosis in vivo, slowing growth with minimal normal-tissue toxicity.","apriori_judge_output":"{\"scores\":{\"novelty\":4.0,\"potential_impact\":4.0,\"readiness\":3.0,\"scalability\":2.0,\"timeliness\":4.0},\"weighted_score\":3.65,\"risks\":[\"Diet-based approach may face reproducibility hurdles across models\",\"Regulatory concerns for animal diet studies in translational path\",\"Need for robust safety/toxicity profiling beyond mice\",\"Scalability depends on standardized diet formulation and manufacturing\"],\"one_sentence_take\":\"High novelty and impact with promising preclinical readiness, but scalability and translational hurdles require careful process development and reproducibility validation.\"}","inventors":["Brent Stockwell","Tal Hirschhorn"],"manager":"Joan Martinez","depts":["Biological Sciences"],"divs":["Faculty of the Arts & Sciences"],"date_released":"2026-04-24"},"highlight":{},"matched_queries":null,"score":0.0}