Unique proangiogenic biomarkers isolated from ovarian endothelial cells

Cancer is a heterogeneous disease that requires multimodality therapy. Most of the therapeutic approaches for ovarian cancer have focused on chemotherapy, which primarily targets proliferating tumor cells. Women with ovarian cancer are typically asymptomatic and they are often diagnosed at an advanced stage and have poor survival. Despite an 80% positive patient response rate to surgery and chemotherapy, most patients will experience tumor recurrence within two years. A majority of women who die of ovarian cancer will have ovarian epithelial carcinomas.

The inventors have discovered unique proangiogenic biomarkers isolated from ovarian endothelial cells. By targeting tumor angiogenesis by inhibiting endothelial cells that support tumor growth, this technology provides methods to diagnose and ovarian cancer in its early stages.

Applications:

• Method to diagnose and treat ovarian cancer in its early stage.
• Novel early stage ovarian cancer biomarkers.
• Therapeutic targets and compositions that inhibit ovarian tumors such as siRNA.

Market:

• Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
• An estimated 15,310 deaths in the U.S. in 2006.

Publication:
C Lu et al. Gene alterations identified by expression profiling in tumor-associated endothelial cells from invasive ovarian carcinoma. Cancer Res. 2007 Feb 15;67(4):1757-1768. [PubMed abs]

Preclinical

U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/901,455 filed 14 Feb 2007 (HHS Reference No. E-095-2007/0-US-01)

Inventors:
Michael J. Birrer (NCI) et al.

Licensees Sought:
Available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing.

Collaborative Research Opportunity:
The National Cancer Institute’s Cell and Cancer Biology Branch, Molecular Mechanisms Section, is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize this technology. Please contact John D. Hewes, Ph.D., at 301/435-3121 or hewesj@mail.nih.gov for more information.