Potential Compounds for the Prevention and Treatment of Skin Tumors
Background:
The Laboratory of Cellular
Carcinogenesis and Tumor Promotion at the National Cancer Institute
(NCI), NIH is seeking collaborative partners to further develop
methods and pharmaceutical compounds for the prevention and
treatment of skin tumors. In recent years an increase in exposure
to UV light has contributed to the increase in incidence of skin
diseases such as premalignant skin lesions. In the U.S. over
700,000 individuals suffer from superficial squamous and basal cell
carcinoma. For several reasons, including toxicity, current
treatments for these skin diseases are not satisfactory.
Application for this technology would be in the prevention and
treatment of skin tumors. The main advantages of the technology
include:
- By inducing terminal differentiation, indole
carbazole will specifically target tumor cells with reduced
cytotoxicity.
- Topical application of hydroxylated aromatic
protein cross-linking agents can be used to cause regression as
well as prevent skin tumors.
Technology:
The Laboratory of Cellular
Carcinogenesis and Tumor Promotion at the National Cancer Institute
(NCI), NIH has developed methods to prevent and treat skin tumors
by using two different classes of compounds. The first, indole
carbazole, causes terminal differentiation of tumor cells by
exploiting a normal physiologic pathway and can regress, as well as
prevent, skin tumors. The second, hydroxylated aromatic protein
cross-linking agents, can be applied topically and are useful for
premalignant and malignant superficial neoplasias of the skin, as
well as for the treatment of basal and squamous cell
carcinomas.
Current State of
Development:
The agents have demonstrated
efficacy in cell culture on skin tumor cell lines and by topical
administration in mouse models where tumor cell lines were grafted
to a dermal site.
IP Status:
- U.S. Patent No. 5,610,185, issued 11 Mar 1997
- U.S. Patent Application No.10/445,251, filed 27 May 2003
Further R&D
Required:
Preclinical and clinical development of the potential therapeutic
compounds
Contact
Information:
John D. Hewes, Ph.D., NCI
Technology Transfer Center
Phone: 301-435-3121
E-mail: Hewesj@mail.nih.gov
Reference: #200 LW
Updated 10/29/2007