Search Technologies

Researchers at the NCI have developed a vaccine technology that stimulates the immune system to selectively destroy metastasizing cells. Stimulation of T cells with the Brachyury peptide promote a robust immune response and lead to targeted lysis of invasive tumor cells. NCI seeks licensing or co-development of this invention.

Recent research has demonstrated that neoantigen-specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) can be isolated from a cancer patient’s lymphocytes. These TCRs may be used to engineer populations of tumor-reactive T cells for cancer immunotherapies. Obtaining sequences of these functional TCRs is a critical initial step in preparing this type of personalized cancer treatment; however, current methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed a rapid and robust method of isolating the sequences of mutation-specific TCRs to alleviate these issues; they seek licensing and/or co-development research collaborations for the development of a method for isolating the sequences of tumor-reactive TCRs. For collaboration opportunities, please contact Steven A. Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D. at sar@nih.gov.

Researchers at the NCI have developed chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) with a high affinity for mesothelin to be used as an immunotherapy to treat pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, and mesothelioma. Cells that express CARs, most notably T cells, are highly reactive against their specific tumor antigen in an MHC-unrestricted manner to generate an immune response that promotes robust tumor cell elimination when infused into cancer patients.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed small molecule compounds that inhibit activity of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1). The HIF-1 inhibitor compounds are designed around the scaffold of naturally occurring metabolite eudistidine. The invention compounds have demonstrated activity against cancer and malaria in vitro.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) developed five high-affinity, fully human monoclonal antibodies targeting FLT3. Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have also been constructed based on the antibodies identified and tested in animal models of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).

NCI researchers developed a combination therapy of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors and immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors, virus-based vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, cell-based treatments or radiopharmaceuticals. The NCI Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology seeks parties to license or co-develop this method.

Chk2 is a protein kinase activated in response to DNA double strand breaks. In normal tissues, Chk2 phosphorylates and thereby activates substrates that induce programmed cell death, or apoptosis, via interactions with p53, E2F1, PML proteins. In cancer tissues, where apoptosis is suppressed, Chk2 phosphorylates and inactivates cell cycle checkpoints (via interactions with Cdc25, phosphatases and Brca1 proteins), which allows cancer cells to repair and tolerate DNA damage. Hence, Chk2 inhibitors would be expected to protect normal tissues by reducing apoptosis, and to sensitize cancer cells to DNA-targeted agents. The National Cancer Institute seeks licensees for small molecule inhibitors of Chk2 for the treatment of cancer.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health identified a collection of TCRs that exclusively recognize the common hotspot driver mutations in KRAS antigen, expressed by a variety of epithelial cancers, including pancreatic, colorectal and lung cancer. The mutated KRAS variants are recognized by the TCRs in the context of specific Class I/Class II HLA alleles. These TCRs can be used for a variety of experimental therapeutic, diagnostic and research applications.

Adoptive cell therapy uses cancer reactive T-cells to effectively treat cancer patients. Producing many persistent T-cells is critical for successful treatments. Researchers at the NCI seek licensing and/or co-development research collaborations for a novel method of producing effective T-cell populations using Akt inhibitors.