Pharmacological induction of exit from the cancer stem cell state
- Detailed Technology Description
- None
- *Abstract
-
Whitehead Intellectual Property Office is seeking a licensee for intellectual property related to compounds that can induce tumor-initiating cells (TICs; previously called ΓÇ£cancer stem cellsΓÇØ) to undergo a transition capable of decreasing their ability to initiate tumor growth and metastasize, known as mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). TICs have emerged in recent years as important targets for cancer therapy owing to their elevated resistance to conventional chemotherapy and their profound tumor-initiating ability. This invention provides proof-of-principle for inducing an MET as differentiation therapy for TICs. In principle, MET would make the cells more vulnerable to cytotoxic treatments and thereby reduce the likelihood of metastasis and clinical relapse. This technology reveals a new direction for targeting the TIC population through epigenetic rewiring that ultimately results in their increased susceptibility to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs.
- Country/Region
- USA
For more information, please click Here
