Targeting T Cells in Tumor Microenvironments through Immunotherapy

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Track Code	2019-LOW-68726
Categories	Medical/Health Pharmaceuticals
Keywords	Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Biotechnology Cancer Research Cancer Therapy Chemistry and Chemical Analysis Drug Delivery Drug Development Immunosuppression immunotherapy Ligand-Targeted Therapeutics Ligands Medicinal Chemistry Molecular Chemistry Patient Care Pharmaceutical Analysis Pharmaceutical Research Pharmaceuticals small molecules
Public Abstract	Researchers at Purdue University have created a ligand-targeted drug for reprogramming the body's immune system to eliminate cancer. This targeting strategy introduces a new frontier in medicinal chemistry and cancer therapeutics. Currently, cancer cells rather than immune cells in the tumor microenvironment are studied to develop therapies for solid tumors. However, immunoinhibiting regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are abundant in tumor microenvironments, can have greater potential to regenerate anti-tumor immunity. The approach developed by Purdue University involves the reprogramming of Tregs using of a targeting molecule with specificity for Tregs that can deliver an attached inhibitory drug solely to Tregs. Uptake of this inhibitory drug by the tumor Tregs then blocks the Tregs immunosuppressive properties and thereby allows the patient's immune system to eradicate the tumor. By targeting the therapeutic drug in this manner, the immunoinhibiting function of Tregs can be silenced without changing the immune system elsewhere in the body. Advantages: -Strong binding affinity -Small molecule treatment of tumors -Reprograms the immune system Potential Applications: -Cancer Therapy -Molecular Medicinal Chemistry -Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
People	Low, Philip Stewart (Project leader) Alfar, Rami Akram Tawfiq
Intellectual Property	Application Date Jan 12, 2023 Type PCT-Patent Country of Filing WO Patent Number (None) Issue Date (None) Application Date Jan 13, 2022 Type Provisional-Patent Country of Filing United States Patent Number (None) Issue Date (None) Application Date Jan 12, 2022 Type Provisional-Patent Country of Filing United States Patent Number (None) Issue Date (None) Application Date Oct 1, 2020 Type Provisional-Patent Country of Filing United States Patent Number (None) Issue Date (None) Application Date Sep 30, 2019 Type Provisional-Patent Country of Filing United States Patent Number (None) Issue Date (None)
Contact OTC	Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization The Convergence Center 101 Foundry Drive, Suite 2500 West Lafayette, IN 47906 Phone: (765) 588-3475 Fax: (765) 463-3486 Email: otcip@prf.org