Melanoma Sentinel Lymph Node Biomarkers (12019)
- *Abstract
-
Features and Benefits
- UofL has developed a prognostic model based on novel sentinel lymph node biomarkers unique to melanoma.
- UofL's sentinel biomarkers together with clinicopathologic features can achieve increased sensitivity and specificity for melanoma risk evaluation.
- UofL's prognostic model can be developed to predict recurrence of disease in melanoma patients.
*This Technology is available for licensing, further development, or industrial partnering*
Technology
The sentinel lymph node status is the single-most important prognostic factor for predicting recurrence and survival in melanoma patients. The exposure of the sentinel lymph node to melanoma cells triggers an immune response (or lack thereof) that will be reflected in patterns of sentinel gene signatures. The combinatorial assessment of sentinel gene signature with clinicopathologic features can achieve increased sensitivity and specificity for risk evaluation. UofL's prognostic model combines sentinel lymph node gene signatures with the traditional clinicopathologic features (such as Breslow thickness, ulceration, and number of positive lymph nodes, etc.) for risk assessment in stage III melanoma patients.
Markets Addressed
The University of Louisville is seeking a business partner interested in commercializing the first sentinel lymph node biomarker used to predict recurrence or non-recurrence of melanoma in stage III patients. Melanoma affects 68,000 Americans each year. Treatment options for melanoma are often confounded by a wide variability of prognoses within and among disease stages. The inherent uncertainty in predicting the outcome of melanoma patients can result in poor communication of actual risk to the patient, promoting decisions that may not be appropriate for the given benefit/risk profile.
This technology could be used to predict recurrence or non-recurrence in stage III melanoma patients. It could also be used in clinical trials of novel adjuvant therapies to guide risk stratification. Furthermore, it could have market applications as a clinical risk prediction tool for stage III melanoma patients by incorporating unique sentinel lymph node (SLN) biosignatures with current clinicopatholgic features.
Technology Status
- IP Status: Pending U.S. Application and PCT Application PCT/US13/31006
- Development Status: Preclinical
- Fields of Use Available: All commercial fields
- Publications: WO 2013/172947
- Country/Region
- USA
