2018-04-011 - GELATIN - A Nanotechnologic Platform for the Targeted Drug and Gene Delivery Against the Advanced Cancer

GELATIN

2018-04-011

Design of innovative functionalized polymeric micelles (PM) for drug and gene delivery, able to reach the bulk tumor cells but also the CSC. Simple preparation method and the safe and biodegradable nature of the selected polymers are key factors for implementation

New polymeric biomaterials and nanomedicines targeting cancer cells are highly required because of their potential clinical applications. Cancer treatment is one of the fields in which polymeric micelles (PM) have emerged as promising tools due to their important characteristics such as biocompatibility, water-solubility and biodegradability. Among the current cancer advanced therapies, gene therapy enjoys high popularity due to its high specificity. However, clinical translation is scarce because the lack of efficient delivery methods and the excessive toxicity presented by most cationic polymers. Here we address the design and development of a new nanosized targeting system consisting on Cetuximab (Cet)-conjugated micelles of Pluronic® F127 (F127) and gelatin for efficient delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) into epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpressing breast cancer cells. Chemical modification by carboxylation of F127 is required prior to conjugation with Cet and PM development. Efficient carboxylation and Cet conjugation are achieved. Further, the obtained PM show appropriate physicochemical features, high entrapment efficiency of siRNA, low toxicity, efficient gene silencing, and high-rate cell internalization in EGFR expressing cells, making them a new promising tool for breast cancer treatment.

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The business model is based on licensing a patented nanotherapeutic platform to biopharmaceutical companies developing gene therapies for cancer. Revenue will be generated through upfront payments, clinical milestone fees, and royalties on sales of products incorporating the targeted siRNA micelle delivery system.

There is a strong unmet market need for non-toxic, targeted nanocarriers that can deliver gene therapies like siRNA specifically to EGFR-overexpressing breast cancer cells. This technology offers a promising solution and has potential value for pharmaceutical companies developing next-generation cancer therapeutics.

The target market is biopharmaceutical companies and oncology researchers focused on developing targeted gene therapies for EGFR-overexpressing breast cancer and other hard-to-treat cancers using nanomedicine and RNA-based therapeutics.

This technology is a novel, non-viral nanoscale delivery system designed to improve the safety and efficiency of gene therapy, particularly for cancers such as EGFR-overexpressing breast cancer. It is based on polymeric micelles formed from Pluronic® F127 and gelatin, both known for their biocompatibility, water solubility, and biodegradability. To enable targeted delivery, the F127 polymer is chemically modified through carboxylation, allowing it to be conjugated with Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes and binds to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), commonly overexpressed in certain cancer cells. This conjugated system allows the micelles to transport small interfering RNA (siRNA) directly into the tumor cells, enabling precise gene silencing. Compared to conventional viral vectors, which are currently the most used in gene therapy but associated with significant toxicity and immunogenicity, this non-viral approach offers a safer alternative. The developed micelles demonstrate high siRNA entrapment efficiency, low toxicity, excellent cellular uptake, and effective gene silencing, making them a promising tool for treating genetically driven diseases such as cancer, muscular dystrophies, hemophilia, and other conditions that currently rely on less specific and more harmful therapies like chemotherapy or enzyme replacement.

PCT/EP2018/086318; EP17382919.3

We are looking for a licensee, the patent costs are now be payed by the research groups involved .

Patents: WO2019129657A1 ; PCT/EP2018/086318 - Date: Jul 4th, 2019 Status: Granted URL: https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019129657A1/en

The PM versatility for the entrapment of different drugs/genetic material and for the conjugation with different targeting moieties, give us a wide range of new therapeutic opportunities