Using Photo-Deoxygenation Induced Apoptosis to Treat Cancer
SLU ID 18-003 | Induced Cytotoxicity via Photo-Deoxygenation
Intellectual Property Status
Seeking
Provisional patent application submitted
Know-how based
Licensee
Development partner
Commercial partner
Investment
University spin out
Background
Photo-dynamic therapy is currently used to treat certain cancers via light by using organic and inorganic compounds that are excited by specific wavelengths of light. Photo-dynamic therapies often use chelated metals to produce oxygen radicals which will then go onto make reactive oxygen species. Due to the triphenylphosphonium substituent, the molecule is hypothesized to aggregate and target mitochondria, which could prove beneficial in cancer therapeutics.
Overview
Researchers at Saint Louis University have synthesized a molecule that undergoes S-O bond cleavage to produce a toxic compound. They have conducted experiments that demonstrate a decrease in percent cell viability of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells when they are exposed to the molecule and irradiated with UV-A.
Benefits
The potential benefits of this technology include:
Increasing the targeting of mitochondria
Increasing induction of apoptosis
Increasing the options for treating various types of cancers
Minimizing adverse effects of cancer therapies
Applications
Potential applications of this technology include:
Photodynamic therapies for treating cancer
Receptor targeted cancer therapies
Drug development
Opportunity
Saint Louis University is seeking partners to further develop and commercialize this technology.