Cripto-1 expression increases the expression of TNF-alpha in CD4+ T cells in tissues affected by chronic inflammatory disease.

Chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (e.g. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and chronic inflammatory arthropathy such as rheumatoid arthritis represent an enormous socio-economic burden due to the cost for long term medication and rehabilitation and the decreased productivity due to periods of acute recurrences. A major characteristic of these diseases is the tissue infiltration of specific CD4+ T cells that sustain inflammation by secreting cytokines. One of these cytokines, TNF-alpha, is a current therapeutic target for the treatment of these chronic inflammatory diseases.

 

This technology describes Cripto-1 as a biomarker for chronic inflammatory diseases. Cripto-1, an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-related protein, shows higher expression levels in tissue sections of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and rheumatoid arthritis as compared to adjacent unaffected areas. Moreover, the inventors show that the response to Cripto-1 is not due to a generic immune response, and Cripto-1 expression increases the expression of TNF-alpha in CD4+ T cells in tissues affected by chronic inflammatory disease. As a result, this technology could be used as a diagnostic biomarker for chronic inflammatory diseases as well as a novel therapeutic target to help control TNF-alpha in chronic inflammatory diseases.

 

Applications:

• Diagnostic tool for the detection of a chronic inflammatory disease.
• Method to inhibit cytokine production in a tissue affected with a chronic inflammatory disease.

Preclinical

U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/045,746 filed 17 Apr 2008 (HHS Reference No. E-075-2008/0-US-01)

 

Inventors:

Luigi Strizzi, David S. Salomon, Monica I. Gonzales (NCI)

 

 

Licensees Sought:

Available for licensing.

 

Collaborative Research Opportunity:

The National Cancer Institute Mammary Biology and Tumorigenesis Laboratory is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize Cripto-1 as a biomarker for chronic inflammatory diseases.  Please contact John D. Hewes, Ph.D. at 301-435-3121 or hewesj@mail.nih.gov for more information.