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This technology includes a fully automated computer aided diagnosis system to quantify myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) pixel maps from the first-pass contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) perfusion images. This system performs automated image registration, motion compensation, segmentation, and modeling to extract quantitative features from different myocardial regions of interest.

This technology includes a family of small-molecule antagonists that selectively block the 5-HT_2B serotonin receptor—an upstream driver of tissue-remodeling—to address fibrotic, cardiopulmonary and related disorders. Built on a conformationally-locked “(N)-methanocarba” nucleoside scaffold, the compounds show nanomolar potency, >30–400-fold selectivity over the closely related 5-HT_2C receptor, and favorable oral bioavailability in rodents.

Immortalization of plasma cells leads to Multiple Myeloma (MM). Signaling Lymphocyte Activation Molecule F7 (SLAMF7) is highly expressed on the malignant plasma cells that constitute Multiple Myeloma. The expression of SLAMF7 by MM cells and lack of expression on nonhematologic cells makes SLAMF7 a promising target for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies for the treatment of MM. 

Patients with chemotherapy-refractory, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have poor prognoses. CD19 and CD20 are promising targets for the treatment of B-Cell malignancies. However, despite the initial promising results from anti-CD19 CAR therapy, only 30-35% of patients with DLBCL achieve remissions lasting longer than 2-3 years after anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. Relapse and non-response are likely due to diminished CD19 expression after anti-CD19 therapy and low expression of CD19 in some lymphomas. 

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. Globally, HCC is the sixth most prevalent cancer and third leading cause of cancer-related morbidity. Standard treatment for HCC is not suitable for a large proportion of liver cancer patients. Part of this is because less than a quarter of HCC patients are surgical candidates for curative-intent treatment. As a result, alternative treatments are needed. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a promising alternative approach selectively targets targeting tumors via tumor-specific antigens.

Programed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1, also known as B7-H1 or CD274) is a cell surface protein that binds to Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 (PD-1, also known as CD279). An imbalance in PD-1/PD-L1 activity contributes to cancer immune escape.  PD-1 is expressed on the surface of antigen-stimulated T cells. The interaction between PD-L1 and PD-1 negatively regulates T cell-mediated immune responses. It has been suggested that disrupting the PD-L1/PD-1 signaling pathway can be used to treat cancers. The aberrant expression of PD-L1 on multiple tumor types supports this suggestion.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of death from cancer in the U.S. The overall 5-year survival rate for this disease is 8.5%. Glypican-1 (GPC1), a cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan protein that is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer. Due to this preferential expression, GPC1 represents a potential candidate for targeted therapy for patients with pancreatic cancer and other GPC1 expressing cancers such as prostate cancer.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been linked to many cancers including cervix, uterine, anus, vulva, vagina, and penis. Although HPV vaccines exist to prevent HPV-associated cancers, there are still more than 5,000 deaths caused by HPV-associated cancers each year in the US and cervical cancer continues to be the second leading cause of cancer death in women ages 20 to 39.