Compositions and Methods of Modulating Angiogenesis
Background
Angiogenesis is a well-controlled process by which new blood vessels are formed. However, in disease states known as "angiogenic-related disorders" such as diabetic retinopathy and hyperproliferative disorders, including many types of tumors, neoplasms and cancers, angiogenesis can progress unregulated with atypical growth and progression of blood vessels due to altered metabolic pathways and genetic expression. These disorders represent a major healthcare challenge and there are few if any effective treatments for these conditions. It is estimated that diabetic retinopathy affects over 4 million people per year in the US with treatment totaling $422 million. Other peripheral vascular diseases affect roughly 10 million Americans costing our healthcare system an estimated $1.2 billion. When one considers other hyperproliferative disorders, the mounting costs of treatment are staggering. There is currently no effective therapy specific to the treatment of either angiogenic-related disorders or hyperproliferative diseases.
Current Invention
The current invention from the laboratory of Dr. Richard Lang of the Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, combines a composition and method for modulating vascular endothelial growth and angiogenesis. This technology is based on the novel discovery by Dr. Lang that activation of the canonical Wingless (Wnt) signaling pathway and repression of the Tie2 signaling pathway induces apoptosis or programmed cell death in vascular endothelial cells. The composition of the invention includes a vascular endothelial cell vessel modulating compound that stimulates the Wnt pathway and represses the Tie2 pathway, thus reversing angiogenesis by inducing apoptosis of blood vessel endothelium. These experimental work shows that the combined action of the Wnt pathway ligand Wnt7b and the Tie2 receptor ligand angiopoietin 2 cause vascular regression. The composition of this invention can be formulated in many desired forms of administration and dosage forms creating an ease of delivery that can be tailored to the specific angiogenic or hyperproliferative disorder being treated. The desired formulation may include prescription or non-prescription dosages thus creating additional utilities and markets for the invention. A provisional patent application has been filed and research in the laboratory continues to validate this technology with a target for the initiation of clinical trials.
Objective
Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation is seeking a corporate partner to collaborate in ongoing validation studies and to license the technology for the purpose of conducting required clinical studies to bring an approved anti-angiogenic therapy to market.
Contact
To receive further information or confidential information regarding this technology, please contact:
Joseph D. Fondacaro, PhD
Director, Office of Intellectual Property & Venture Development
Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation
3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 7032
Cincinnati, Ohio 45339-3039
Phone: 513-636-7695
Fax: 531-636-8453
Email: jdfonda@cchmc.org
