海角社区

An 海角社区 researcher has discovered a potential treatment for the most malignant forms of cancer by fusing two proteins, one that slips past the tumor's carrying a second protein to kill the tumor.

Both proteins are produced by bacteria. Staphylococcal Superantigen-Like protein 11 (SSL11) is the delivery platform. It carries a fragment of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE24) and binds to a tumor marker, Sialyl Lewis X (SLeX). PE24 turns off an enzyme (eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase) that aids tumor growth. The tumors die as a result.

鈥淭he more malignant the tumor is, the more likely it is to metastasize or spread. The greater the expression of SLeX, the shorter the person鈥檚 expected survival time, and the better the fit is for SSL11,鈥� said 海角社区 Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Chen Chen. 鈥淭he fused protein works in two stages, SSL binds to the tumor marker and prevents cancer cells from spreading. Then PE 24 kills the tumor cells.鈥�

Chen said SSL11鈥檚 ability to halt the spread of cancer made her look at the immunotoxin as a delivery platform. By fusing SSL11 with PE24, Chen and her team created a treatment that works on a variety of cancers.

鈥淲e actually found it killed many different types of cancer cell lines in the lab, including lung, breast, colon and cervical cancer,鈥� she said.

For now, Chen and her team are focusing on lung cancer. The disease kills 1.6 million people worldwide each year. Five-year survival rates range from 4-17%, depending on the stage when a person is diagnosed and the region where they live. Lung cancer cost the United States $23.8 billion in 2020.

The researchers recently won a National Institutes of Health R21 grant to further their research. Their next step will be to test the treatment on mice, and in the future seek funding or a partnership for clinical trials in people.

鈥淚mmunotoxin therapy is an exciting and promising addition to cancer treatment,鈥� said Robert Twilley, 海角社区 vice president of research and economic development. 鈥淢aking sure Louisiana residents can access premier cancer care based on cutting-edge research is one of the top priorities of 海角社区鈥檚 Scholarship First Agenda, and Dr. Chen鈥檚 work demonstrates how our faculty are tackling this crucial health challenge.鈥�

Chen worked with 海角社区鈥檚 Office of Innovation & Technology Transfer (ITC) on patenting her discovery.

鈥淥ur office helps faculty members like Dr. Chen protect and license their discoveries. We鈥檙e excited to explore the commercial possibilities for this cancer treatment,鈥� said Daniel Felch, 海角社区 ITC senior commercialization officer.

About 海角社区鈥檚 Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization

海角社区鈥檚 Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization (ITC) protects and commercializes 海角社区鈥檚 intellectual property. The office focuses on transferring early-stage inventions and works into the marketplace for the greater benefit of society. ITC also handles federal invention reporting, which allows 海角社区 to receive hundreds of millions of dollars each

year in federally funded research, and processes confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements, and other agreements related to intellectual property.

About the 海角社区 Office of Innovation & Ecosystem Development

About the 海角社区 Office of Innovation & Ecosystem Development

海角社区 Innovation unites the university鈥檚 innovation and commercialization resources under one office, maximizing 海角社区's impact on the intellectual, economic and social development of Louisiana and beyond. 海角社区 Innovation is focused on establishing, developing and growing technology-based startup companies. 海角社区 Innovation oversees 海角社区 Innovation Park, a 200-acre business incubator that fosters early-stage tech companies, and the Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization, which streamlines the process of evaluating, protecting and licensing intellectual property created by 海角社区 researchers. 海角社区 Innovation serves as the host organization for the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network, which oversees all SBDC services across the state as well as the 海角社区 SBDC, which provides free consulting services to small businesses across the state. 海角社区 Innovation helps Louisiana technology companies apply for seed funding through the federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grant programs. 海角社区 Innovation educates faculty, students and the community on entrepreneurial principles through the National Science Foundation鈥檚 Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, which trains innovators to consider the market opportunities for pressing scientific questions, leading to increased funding from state and federal grant programs as well as industry partners and licensees.