Novel Anti-Tumor Agents for Prostate Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Technology ID: 06KUMC005

Description:  A novel cellular mechanism in prostate cancer cells has been discovered.  When the cells are treated with specific compounds, the cellular DNA replication is disrupted and cell growth of the recurrent prostate cancer cells is subsequently suppressed.   This unique method of disrupting a novel cellular mechanism results in the selective destruction of the cancer cells without killing normal healthy cells.

Patent: Patent pending.

Specific Market: This technology is directed toward recurrent prostate cancer but has the potential to be applicable to many different types of cancer.

Market Size:  Unknown

State of the Art: Many therapies exist for the treatment of recurrent prostate cancer, including salvage radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, combination hormone therapy, and chemotherapy.  These therapies have many deleterious side effects, and in many cases have minimal efficacy.  For example, one study has shown that out of the men receiving radiation therapy whose PSA nadir was between 0.6-1.0, only 29% were cancer-free five years after receiving therapy.  In addition, use of current therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy result in the destruction of a large numbers of non-target healthy cells.

Benefits: This technology has the potential for fewer side effects compared to current therapies for recurrent prostate cancer.  After treatment for localized prostate cancer, there is a chance the disease will recur since all the cancerous cells may not have been removed.  Often this occurs because the microscopic cancer cells may have escaped from the prostate prior to localized treatment and spread to nearby lymph nodes and other nearby structures.  This therapy has the potential to treat these types of cells, resulting in complete arrest and elimination of the disease.

Technical Obstacles:  The technology has been demonstrated in a proof of concept animal model.  Additional research will be needed before the therapeutic compounds can enter the preclinical stage of development.

Publications:   N/A

Confidential Disclosure Agreement: KUMC is willing to enter into a CDA for the purpose of negotiating a License Agreement.  If you are interested in learning details of this invention, please contact the Technology Transfer Office at 913-588-5721.