This technology is an anti-tumor agent for the treatment of adenoid cystic carcinoma that uses direct and inverse agonists of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) or retinoid X receptor (RXR) to induce cell differentiation and kill the subsequent ductal-like cells.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive cancer of the salivary glands. ACCs often metastasize, and 60% of patients affected die within 15 years of their initial diagnosis. There are currently no FDA-approved systemic or targeted therapies for treating ACC.
This anti-tumor agent uses direct agonists of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) or retinoid X receptor (RXR) signaling to modify the composition of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) tumors, causing aggressive myoepithelial-like cells to differentiate into less tumorigenic ductal-like cells. These ductal-like cells can then be killed using inverse agonists of RAR/RXR signaling, with or without other forms of treatment.
This technology has been validated with patient-derived human cancer cell lines and three-dimensional organoids.
Patent Pending (US 20220031644)
IR CU20036, CU21018, CU21357, CU23276
Licensing Contact: Sara Gusik