This technology identifies lipids that act as biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for ferroptosis, the iron-dependent programmed cell death pathway involved in many diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death mechanism that responds to cellular stress from extensive lipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis has been implicated in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases as a driver of neuronal cell death, in myocardia infarction as an inducer of heart injury, and in both liver and kidney disease progression as a cause of worsening fibrosis in these organs. Ferroptosis is also implicated in cancer, where it can have both pro-tumor and anti-tumor effects. Therefore, harnessing ferroptosis can potentially create new therapeutic avenues for treating these diseases.
This technology identifies a class of lipids known as diacyl-polyunsaturated fatty acyl tail phosphatidylcholines (PC-PUFA2s) as the main lipid driver of ferroptosis. PC-PUFA2s, which can accumulate in cells upon dietary supplementation of phospholipids, can activate lipid peroxidation to initiate ferroptosis. This technology can be used as a biomarker to gauge ferroptosis sensitivity and has potential uses as a therapeutic target to allow for pharmacological ferroptosis regulation.
This technology has been validated with mammalian cell lines.
Patent Pending
IR CU24174
Licensing Contact: Joan Martinez