Columbia Technology Ventures

Inhibiting chemokine interactions to improve treatment outcomes for prostate cancer

This technology decreases the infiltration of suppressive immune cells at the tumor site by blocking IL-8 and/or its receptors, potentially improving treatment outcomes for prostate cancer.

Unmet Need: Therapy to counteract immunosuppressive effects of prostate cancer treatment

Prostate cancer is among the most common cancers in men worldwide, with approximately 900,000 cases and over 250,000 deaths annually. More aggressive forms of prostate cancer are commonly treated using androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), sometimes in parallel with other treatments such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Patients treated with ADT typically have elevated inflammatory biomarkers, such as IL-8, which recruit suppressive immune cells to the tumor microenvironment leading to poor treatment outcomes. There is a need for therapeutics that minimize these immunosuppressive effects, in order to boost immune response to cancer cells and maximize treatment efficacy.

The Technology: Inhibition of IL-8 minimizes immunosuppression to improve prostate cancer treatment

This technology describes a method for treating prostate cancer by blocking IL-8 and its related receptors. Cancer cells often exhibit increased expression of IL-8. By blocking this chemokine and/or its receptors, recruitment of suppressive immune cells to the tumor microenvironment is significantly decreased. Therefore, this technology can boost immune response to cancer cells, enhance the efficacy of ADT and immunotherapy, and may lead to improved patient outcomes.

This technology has been validated in human prostate cancer cells and related mouse models of prostate cancer.

Applications:

  • Treatment for prostate cancer
  • Combination therapy with ADT, chemotherapy, etc. for prostate cancer
  • Immunotherapy for cancers with IL-8 upregulation
  • Preventative treatment for patients in cancer remission

Advantages:

  • Boost’s immune response of patient undergoing cancer treatment
  • Potential treatment option for patients resistant to ADT
  • Can be combined with existing FDA approved treatments
  • May prevent suppressive immune cell infiltration in other cancers

Lead Inventor:

Charles Drake, MD, Ph.D

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Tech Ventures Reference: