Columbia Technology Ventures

Targeted, thermo-responsive drug delivery for treating cancer

This technology is a soluble and bio-degradable polymer-drug conjugate for targeted anti-cancer drug delivery.

Unmet Need: Thermo-responsive, bio-degradable polymer-drug conjugates for targeted anti-cancer therapeutics

While many anti-cancer agents have been identified for target drug delivery, applications have been limited due in part to their insolubility, instability in plasma, and drug carrier toxicity. The conjugation of therapeutic agents to water-soluble polymers yields soluble polymeric therapeutic agent carriers, but there is a need for bio-degradable polymers to avoid adverse side effects. Additionally, temperature-sensitive polymers can be triggered by local hyperthermia to undergo a reversible phase transition and expel their liquid content and enable cellular uptake. However, there is also a need for thermo-responsive compounds and soluble polymeric therapeutic agent carriers that are temperature-sensitive.

The Technology: Thermo-responsive, pH degradable carrier conjugate for non-toxic, targeted drug delivery

This technology utilizes a thermo-responsive polymer carrier, which is soluble at normal body temperature, to transport the conjugate through the bloodstream. Unlike many existing conjugates, it can effectively target the tumor by exploiting the characteristic elevated local temperature of tumors. The polymer experiences a phase transition at the tumor local temperature, allowing the polymer carrier to accumulate onto the tumor. Additionally, this technology exploits the pH level around the tumor to initiate selective degradation of the polymer and further increases accumulation of the drug onto the tumor surface. Non-toxic, degradation byproducts can then be effectively removed from the body. Furthermore, this technology provides pathways for delivery of a range of novel pharmaceutical agents.

This technology has been validated in vitro using HIF-1, which is a high-priority target to prevent rapid tumor growth, vascularization, and metastasis.

Applications:

  • Anti-cancer therapeutics
  • Targeted drug delivery
  • Therapeutics for crops, plants or seeds

Advantages:

  • Reduced side effects of cancer therapy
  • Simple chemical synthesis methods
  • Highly predictable and tunable release of cargo over a temperature range of 6-80°C
  • Rapid phase transition and release of cargo within 3-5°C targets hyperthermic cancer environments
  • Non-toxic byproducts after drug delivery
  • Large library of compatible anti-cancer pharmaceuticals
  • Controllable degradation conditions
  • Polymer chain-end functionality for versatility beyond cancer therapies

Lead Inventor:

Jeffrey T. Koberstein, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Status

Related Publications:

Tech Ventures Reference:

  • IR CU15296

  • Licensing Contact: [Satish Rao](mailto:techtransfer@columbia.edu