NU 2022-058
INVENTORS Dong Hyun Kim* Kijung Kwak Bo Yu
SHORT DESCRIPTION A method of co-delivering immune modulating agents during ethanol ablation of solid tumors
BACKGROUND Ethanol ablation therapy is a simple and inexpensive method commonly employed to shrink solid tumors. Like other tumor ablation techniques, such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation, ethanol ablation alone often does not completely eliminate solid tumors. In addition, ethanol therapy can result in inflammatory tumor microenvironment (iTME) and other unfavorable aftereffects. There are various immunotherapy agents that modulate iTME, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, small molecular inhibitors of the immunosuppressive activating enzyme, and vaccines that promote immunostimulatory effects, but none of them produces long-lasting therapeutic benefits. New molecules that abate iTME at targeted lesions will greatly improve the efficacy of ethanol ablation therapy for solid tumors.
ABSTRACT Northwestern inventors have developed a method of co-administering immunomodulators during ethanol ablation procedures. Specifically, they optimized a technique to co-deliver curcumin, a naturally occurring compound extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa). Curcumin is a known immune modulator, and it has anti-cancer properties. In preclinical experiments, the inventors observed that specific concentrations of curcumin and ethanol had synergistic anti-cancer effects against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Moreover, the dual therapy reduced iTME, elicited an abscopal effect in metastasized tumors, and reduced tumor volume by two-fold. This new method of co-administration may be applied to deliver combinations of other effective immune modulating agents to treat many kinds of solid tumor.
APPLICATIONS
ADVANTAGES
IP STATUS A provisional application has been filed.
PUBLICATION Manuscript has been submitted for publication.