3-o-sulfo-galactosylceramide Analogs as Activators of Type II Natural Killer T (NKT) Cells to Reduce Cancer Metastasis to the Lung

Lung metastases are a sign of widespread cancer with poor survival rate. Lung malignancies can originate from almost any cancer type spread via the blood stream. Most common lung metastases are from melanoma, breast cancer, bladder cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, neuroblastoma, and sarcoma. Living more than 5 years with lung metastases is uncommon, and surgical procedures are only effective with localized lung metastases. Lung metastasis are extremely frequent and resistant to regular treatment due to immunosuppressive regulatory sulfatide-reactive type II NKT cells. Currently, there is no effective treatment that could prevent lung metastases.   Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed a drug, C24:2, that is capable of specific activation of type II natural killer T (NKT) cells resulting in significant reduction of the number of lung metastases. C24:2 is a 3-o-sulfo-galactosylceramide analog of C24.1, which is a sulfatide composed of a galactose head with a sulfate group β-linked to a ceramide moiety. C24:2, recognized only by the type II NKT hybridoma, induced IL-13 production of lung cells and significantly reduced the development of lung metastasis. The inventors not only discovered a first-in-class dru g C24:2, that has never been investigated before, but demonstrated its function both in vitro using hybridoma cell line, ex vivo by in vitro stimulation of lung mononuclear cells, and in vivo reducing lung metastasis in cancer bearing mice...
Source: NIH OTT Licensing Opportunities - Category: Research Authors: Source Type: research