Three Indiana University-led research innovations, designed to improve the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and ovarian and other cancers, recently received patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Below is information about each patent.
Patent issued to small molecule inhibitors of ALDH for the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer:
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent for small molecule inhibitors of the ALDH protein developed by Thomas Hurley, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, associate dean for graduate education at the IU School of Medicine and a member of the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Epithelial ovarian cancer is difficult to treat due to frequent relapses as ALDH cells are chemotherapy-resistant and propagate tumors. Therefore, the inhibition of the ALDH protein can serve as a therapeutic target for ovarian cancer and other diseases.
Patent issued for genetically modified mouse model for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease:
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent for a method of using genetically modified mice for screening compounds for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease developed by Bruce Lamb and The Jackson Laboratory. The mice expressed two proteins that pose as significant risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which will be helpful in identifying potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Lamb is a Distinguished Professor, Roberts Family Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research and executive director of the Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at the IU School of Medicine.
Patent issued for anti-cancer compounds targeting Ral GTPases:
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent for a method that inhibits Ral GTPases for the prevention of metastasis of cancer developed by Samy Meroueh. The anti-cancer compounds prevent the growth of cancer cells for bladder, pancreas, prostate, colon, skin and lung cancers. Meroueh served for more than 18 years as a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the IU School of Medicine and a member of the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is the co-founder of Kovina Therapeutics, a preclinical stage biotechnology company based in Indianapolis developing first-in-class antiviral therapeutics specifically designed to treat cancers and premalignant infections caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and a portfolio company of IU Ventures, which invests in and supports IU-affiliated early-stage companies.
These innovations were disclosed to the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office. The mission of the office is to transfer IU innovations from lab to market for public benefit and global impact. The office files patents to facilitate commercialization of the innovation. IU personnel can disclose an invention online.
Leave a Reply