Castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is characterized by androgen-independent cancer cells that have adapted to the depletion of hormones and continue to grow. Abnormal androgen receptor signaling is known to drive advanced castrate-resistant prostate cancer.
Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures systems are important for studying cell biology because they provide in vivo-like microenvironments more physiologically relevant than two-dimensional (2D) culture systems. In 3D culture systems, cells are grown in culture matrixes and turn into spheroids and organoids later processed for downstream analysis by microscopy and histology techniques. The processing of 3D cultures for analysis by microscopy or histology is laborious and time-consuming due to incompatibility of the 3D culture vessels and the microscopy and pathology blocks.
Cancer cells may acquire drug resistance after prolonged chemotherapy. In many cases, cancer cells develop resistance to several drugs with distinct structures and modes of action. This multi-drug resistance phenomenon increases the complexity of cancer treatment.
The NCI Radiation Oncology Branch and the NHLBI Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics seek parties to co-develop fluorescent nanodiamonds for use as in vivo and in vitro optical tracking probes toward commercialization.
Topoisomerase poisons, such as quinolone antibiotics, are widely used as anticancer drugs and antibiotics. Quinolone antibiotics act by trapping prokaryotic type IIA topoisomerases (DNA gyrase and TOPO IV), resulting in irreversible topoisomerase cleavage complexes. However, current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance reserves the use of quinolones for the most serious bacterial infections due to their associated side effects and to limit the occurrence of drug-resistant bacterial strains.
Summary:
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is actively seeking potential licensees and/or co-development research collaboration partners interested in advancing oxynitidine derivatives as novel inhibitors of topoisomerase IB (TOP1) and tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) for cancer treatment. These TOPI and TDP1 inhibitors, when administered together, demonstrate enhanced anti-tumor efficacy.
Description of Technology:
POTE is a novel tumor antigen expressed in a variety of cancers including breast, prostate, colon, lung, ovary, and pancreas cancers. POTE has limited expression in normal tissues and therefore a specific target for cancer treatments, including immunotherapy. The researchers seek statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize immunogenic peptides.
Cell motility and membrane trafficking play important roles in regulating cell division, cell migration, cell death and autophagy. Impairment of these processes can result in enhanced cell proliferation and survival and increased migration and invasion leading to cancer. Several proteins involved in cell motility and membrane trafficking have been shown to be dysregulated in various cancers. There is therefore a need for development of animal models for studying the roles of these proteins in cancer and their responses to drug treatment in vivo.
Previously described epidermal growth factor receptor- (EGFR) driven tumor mouse models develop diffuse tumors, which are dissimilar to human lung tumor morphology and difficult to measure by CT and MRI scans. Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed and characterized a genetically engineered mouse (GEM) model of human EGFR-driven tumor model (hEGFR-TL) that recapitulates the discrete lung tumor nodules similar to those found in human lung tumor morphology.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by several factors including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an environmental contaminant. TCDD causes lipid accumulation in humans by inducing the Solute Carrier Family 46 Member 3 (SLC46A3) gene expression. To effectively study TCDD-mediated lipid accumulation, research tools such as SLC46A3 knockout cells and animal models are required.