Novel Compounds for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Conditions and Diseases
Overview
Stroke and other neurological insults entail a build-up of waste materials in brain cells. One of the most common waste materials is glutamate, which is present in more than 50 percent of nervous tissue. Glutamate receptors are critical to neuronal functioning. Failure to regulate these receptors contributes to various neurological disorders and to neurodegeneration diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. PDZ domains, amino acid chains which play a key role in signaling proteins, are an effective target for controlling glutamate receptors. Our invention is a reversible inhibitor of at least one neuron-specific PDZ domain.
Market Opportunity
Neurological trauma and disease, even when not fatal, can greatly affect quality of life. Clinicians often lack effective therapeutics both for treating the immediate problem and for preventing further neuronal damage.
Innovation and Meaningful Advantages
Treatment with our invention, which may include long-term, short-term, or intermittent regimens, would be envisioned as effective when administered promptly upon neurological insult. Treatment could also be administered in advance of neuro-stress, such as prior to a surgical procedure that invades the brain, or as a therapeutic intervention against further neuronal damage from neuro-stress.
This technology uses polymers of amino acid residues in which one or more amino acid residue is an artificial chemical that mimics the corresponding naturally occurring amino acid, as well as naturally occurring amino acid polymers and non-naturally occurring amino acid polymers. Our invention can be formed from any amino acids, offering great variability in size and side-chain availability.
Collaboration Opportunity
We are interested in exploring 1) startup opportunities with investors in the drug delivery space; 2) research collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies to develop this treatment; and 3) licensing opportunities for neuro-focused therapeutic companies.
Principal Investigator
John Marshall, PhD
Professor of Medical Science
Brown University
Brown Tech ID #1939J
john_marshall@brown.edu
https://vivo.brown.edu/display/jomarsha
Contact
Neil Veloso
Executive Director, Brown Technology Innovations
Neil_Veloso@brown.edu
IP Information
2018-08-14 US10046024B2; published.
Publications
LeBlanc BW, Iwata M, Mallon AP, Rupasinghe CN, Goebel DJ, Marshall J, Spaller MR, Saab CY. A cyclic peptide targeted against PSD-95 blocks central sensitization and attenuates thermal hyperalgesia. Neuroscience. 2010 May 5;167(2):490-500. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2849898.
Piserchio A, Salinas GD, Li T, Marshall J, Spaller MR, Mierke DF. Targeting specific PDZ domains of PSD-95; structural basis for enhanced affinity and enzymatic stability of a cyclic peptide. Chem Biol. 2004 Apr;11(4):469-73. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2004.03.013.