| WARF: P00366US |  |
| Acyclic Isoprenoid Ether Derivatives as Chemotherapeutics |
| INVENTORS | • | Charles Elson, Manfred Jung, Huanbiao Mo |
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in developing a method of using an isoprenoid ether derivative to treat cancer.
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.
THE INVENTION
UW-Madison researchers have developed 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.
APPLICATIONS
- Preventing or treating cancer
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 the compound.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Intellectual Property Status
Tech Fields
Pharmaceuticals & Vitamin D - Oncology & hematology
CONTACT INFORMATION
For current licensing status, please contact our team at
licensing@warf.org
or phone 608.262.4924. (Clicking this link will open a contact form in a popup window. If you have problems viewing the form, try disabling your popup blocker software.)
WARF: A Leader in Technology Transfer Since 1925
Since its founding as the patenting and licensing arm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF has been working with business and industry to transform university research into products that benefit society. WARF intellectual property managers and licensing staff members are leaders in the field of university-based technology transfer. They are familiar with the intricacies of patenting, have worked with researchers in relevant disciplines, understand industries and markets, and have negotiated innovative licensing strategies to meet the individual needs of business clients.
The University of Wisconsin and WARF -
A Single Location to Accelerate Translational Development of New Drugs
The UW-Madison has the integrative capabilities to complete many key components of the drug development cycle, from discovery through clinical trials. As one of the top research universities in the world, and one of the two best-funded universities in the country, UW-Madison offers state-of-the-art facilities unmatched by most public universities.
These include the Small Molecule Screening Facility at the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center; the Zeeh Pharmaceutical Experiment Station, which provides consulting and laboratory services for developing formulations and studying solubility, stability and more; the Waisman Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility; the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, which provides UW-Madison with a complete translational research facility; and soon, the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, made up of innovative private and public interdisciplinary biomedical research institutes. The highly qualified experts at these facilities are ready to work with you to create a library of candidates for drug development.
Since its founding as the patenting and licensing arm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF has been working with business and industry to transform university research into products that benefit society. WARF intellectual property managers and licensing staff members are leaders in the field of university-based technology transfer. They are familiar with the intricacies of patenting, have worked with researchers in relevant disciplines, understand industries and markets, and have negotiated innovative licensing strategies to meet the individual needs of business clients.
The University of Wisconsin and WARF -
A Single Location to Accelerate Translational Development of New Drugs
The UW-Madison has the integrative capabilities to complete many key components of the drug development cycle, from discovery through clinical trials. As one of the top research universities in the world, and one of the two best-funded universities in the country, UW-Madison offers state-of-the-art facilities unmatched by most public universities.
These include the Small Molecule Screening Facility at the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center; the Zeeh Pharmaceutical Experiment Station, which provides consulting and laboratory services for developing formulations and studying solubility, stability and more; the Waisman Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility; the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, which provides UW-Madison with a complete translational research facility; and soon, the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, made up of innovative private and public interdisciplinary biomedical research institutes. The highly qualified experts at these facilities are ready to work with you to create a library of candidates for drug development.
