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Please Note: The technology listed below is not available to the public at this time. This technology is in the early stage of research and requires further development before it is ready for the marketplace. The VA is currently in the process of identifying potential companies who may be interested in licensing and/or further developing the technology through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA). Through cooperative research initiatives such as these, it is our hope and goal that commercial products will be fully developed and made available to benefit veterans and others.
VA TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITY BRIEF
Screening Tools for Discovery of Novel Anabolic Agents
OPPORTUNITY:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking a commercial partner to further develop this technology through a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA). The VA has developed a set of cell culture systems for screening compounds for muscle growth properties. The subject technology represents a potential high throughput screening solution for companies attempting to identify novel therapies for muscle atrophy.
BACKGROUND:
Muscle atrophy occurs as a result of a number of different medical conditions, such as spinal cord injury, cancer, HIV infection, burns and prolonged bed rest following injury. Additionally, muscle atrophy is noted as a side effect of certain drugs. Regardless of the disease or condition it is associated with, muscle atrophy results in weakness and morbidity. Androgens are currently used to increase muscle mass in atrophy patients but are associated with significant adverse effects that limit clinical use. Research is attempting to identify novel drug targets that possess muscle anabolic effects and are free from the side effects observed with testosterone administration.
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW:
The subject technology is a set of cell culture systems for screening compounds for muscle growth-promoting properties. The technology utilizes cell lines that are engineered to express the human androgen receptor as well as reporter genes for measuring the expression of muscle growth factor IGF-1 and muscle degradation factor MAFbx.
Specifically, the subject technology identifies agents that affect expression of the IGF-1 and MAFbx components of signaling pathways for both muscle protein synthesis and breakdown. By measuring the expression of IGF-1 and MAFbx, these cell culture systems provide a more detailed analysis of the anabolic properties of compounds than similar technologies. This ability to identify and quantify the effect of anabolic compounds makes the cell culture systems well-suited for high throughput screening of drug candidates for treatment of muscle atrophy.
TECHNICAL MERIT:
The potential exists that cell culture systems can assess the specific effect of androgens such as testosterone on the levels of individual components of muscle protein synthesis and degradation pathways. Testing of this technology supports that concept.
The subject technology offers specific advantages over current similar technologies in that:
- The cell culture systems provide more specific measurements of the anabolic properties of androgens than current assays.
- The cell culture systems are compatible with a high throughput screening format, offering capabilities over other current assays for high throughput screening of anabolic agents.
Potential commercial application for the cell culture systems is in high throughput screening assays for identifying anabolic agents that represent potential drug leads for treatment of muscle wasting disease.
PATENT STATUS:
Federal register: May 4,2005 (Vol. 70, Number 85) p. 23299-23300
US patent issued on 9-30-08 (7,429,482).
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Saleem SheredosProgram Manager
Technology Transfer Program
Veterans Affairs
Office of Research & Development (12TT)
5th Floor
103 South Gay Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
202-380-5080
Fax 410.962.2141
e-mail: saleem.sheredos@va.gov
Last Updated October 28, 2008