IL-6 Inhibitor for acute inflammatory disorders
This technology is a synthetic peptide therapeutic that suppresses IL-6 production for treating acute inflammatory conditions such as sepsis and endotoxin shock.
Unmet Need: Effective therapies for cytokine-driven inflammatory shock
Current treatment methods for endotoxin shock and sepsis rely heavily on supportive care and antibiotics, but they do not directly modulate the underlying inflammatory response. In severe cases, elevated levels of IL-6 and other cytokines lead to a hyperinflammatory state, or “cytokine storm,” that can rapidly cause organ failure and death. While biologics targeting IL-6 signaling exist, they are often expensive, slow acting, or poorly suited to acute settings. Although these methods save lives, there are no fast therapeutics that can directly suppress IL-6 production at the source and improve outcomes in acute inflammatory diseases
The Technology: Peptide therapeutic that directly suppresses IL-6
This technology is a synthetic peptide that binds to a regulatory protein that stabilizes IL-6 mRNA, thereby reducing IL-6 production at the transcriptional level. By disrupting the interaction between the regulatory protein and its target transcripts, the peptide downregulates IL-6 expression without interfering with upstream immune signaling pathways. This mechanism allows for selective suppression of IL-6-driven inflammation, potentially reducing the risk of systemic immunosuppression seen with other anti-cytokine therapies.
The technology has been validated in both murine and human macrophage cultures.
Applications:
- Acute treatment of endotoxin shock and sepsis
- Therapeutic intervention for cytokine storm syndromes
- Adjunctive therapy in infectious diseases with inflammatory complications
- Research tool for studying IL-6 regulation in immune cells
- Platform for development of next-generation anti-inflammatory peptides
Advantages:
- Selectively suppresses IL-6
- Lowers risk of systemic immunosuppression
- Suitable for acute inflammatory settings
- Effective in both human and murine models
- Improves survival in preclinical endotoxin shock
Lead Inventor:
Patent Information:
Patent Pending
Related Publications:
Tech Ventures Reference:
IR CU24063
Licensing Contact: Kristin Neuman