Millions of patients in the United States are afflicted by a host of bone diseases caused by osteoclast (specialized calls arising from the macrophage/monocyte lineage) dysfunction. Diseases include Paget’s disease, osteoporosis, fibrous dysplasia and osteolytic bone metastasis. The current standard of care for these diseases uses broad-spectrum therapies that either coat the skeletal system or inhibit osteoclast development in an effort to modulate osteoclastogenesis. New therapies are needed that specifically target osteoclast fusion – allowing patients to forgo the off-target side effects caused by existing, broad-spectrum therapies.
Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) discovered that the Lupus autoantigen (La) protein is a master regulator of osteoclast fusion and osteoclastogenesis., The resorptive capacity of osteoclasts and the ability of osteoclasts to remodel bone can be modulated by :(1) administering an effective amount of a La protein or (2) an agent that modulates La protein expression or activity. This specific approach to regulating osteoclast fusion and osteoclastogenesis should bypass the off-target side effects associated with current therapies. It represents a major opportunity to improve the lives of millions who suffer from numerous bone diseases.
NICHD seeks co-development partners and/or licensees for the further development of methods to target the La protein for the regulation of osteoclast fusion and osteoclastogenesis.
o Osteoporosis
o Paget’s disease
o Fibrous dysplasia
o Osteolytic bone metastasis
o Rheumatoid arthritis
o Metastatic bone disease