This technology is a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomer and single-terminus delivery peptide conjugate that can be used to treat cancer and minimize non-specific cell toxicity when targeting KRAS G12D transcription suppression.
The current standard of care for cancer involves aggressive treatments like radiation, chemotherapy, and small molecule inhibitors, all of which have extensive side effects. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are an alternative to treat carcinomas as they can selectively hybridize with cancerous DNA and RNA. This hybridization suppresses transcription and thus proliferation of cancer cells, though the detergent-like properties of PNA oligomers can also lead to healthy cell damage in the therapeutic delivery process.
This technology is a cancer therapeutic that improves the delivery and target stabilization of protein nucleic acids (PNAs). The added delivery peptide sequence consists of lysine residues with at least one carrying a twelve-carbon palmitoyl side chain. The addition of a hydrophobic/cationic chain to one end of the PNA oligomer increases the potency of KRAS G12D transcription suppression and reduces non-specific toxicity in cells without the G12D mutation.
This technology has been validated in vitro in human cancer cell lines AsPC1 (KRAS G12D expressing cells) and BxPC3 (KRAS WT-expressing cells).
Jeffrey H. Rothman, M.D., Ph.D.
Patent Issued (EP4003389) Patent Pending (US20220144898)
IR CU19272
Licensing Contact: Joan Martinez