| WARF: P00366US |  |
| Acyclic Isoprenoid Ether Derivatives as Chemotherapeutics |
| INVENTORS | • | Charles Elson, Manfred Jung, Huanbiao Mo |
OVERVIEW
Farnesol, an acyclic isoprenoid alcohol naturally found in foods, has shown some ability to suppress tumor growth; however, its action is short-lived because it is converted to prenyl dioic acids and excreted. Gamma-tocotrienol, a farnesol mimetic, suppresses tumor growth much more effectively than farnesol. Although gamma-tocotrienol is not converted to prenyl acids and is therefore not excreted, alpha-tocopherol in the diet markedly diminishes gamma-tocotrienol’s tumor-suppressive action.
This invention provides a method and compositions for suppressing the growth of tumor cells in a patient. The patient ingests an effective amount of an isoprenoid ether derivative that is an acyclic isoprenoid molecule, such as farnesol, coupled via an ether linkage to a second molecule with tumor-suppressive activity, such as perillyl alcohol. Isoprenoid ether-linked compounds are highly active against cancer cells in culture, and when evaluated
in vivo, their activity is not attenuated by alpha-tocopherol. One such compound, M364, reduced cell numbers of highly invasive B16 melanoma cells
in vitro by more than 50 percent and initiated apoptosis when present at 5μmol/L. It should be an effective cancer preventive and therapeutic in
vivo.
KEY BENEFITS
- Promising preventive and therapeutic agent for cancer
- Ether linkage protects compound from degradation and excretion
- Dietary alpha-tocopherol does not diminish action of compound
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Intellectual Property Status
Tech Fields
Pharmaceuticals - Oncology & hematology
CONTACT INFORMATION
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