Description:
Researchers from UTHealth and The Medical College of Wisconsin have collaborated to reveal the role of OSMR in promoting ovarian cancer cell proliferation and metastasis through activation of STAT3 signaling, as well as illuminated the preclinical efficacy of antibody-based OSMR targeting for ovarian cancer treatment. More particularly, researchers have generated anti-OSMR monoclonal antibodies and demonstrated the utilities of those antibodies for the treatment and detection of cancer.
Background
Ovarian cancer is among the most lethal gynecological malignancies and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women in the United States. OSMR is identified as a key regulator for activating oncogenic pathways through JAK/STAT, MAPK, PKC isoforms, and PI3K/AKT pathways in cancer cells. However, OSMR as a potential therapeutic target for ovarian and other cancers is a new research area.
Discovery
Researchers have discovered the overexpression of OSMR in ovarian cancer cells through single-cell and nuclear RNA-seq data set analyses on human ovarian cancer specimens. Significantly, they demonstrated the preclinical efficacy of antibody-based OSMR targeting for ovarian cancer treatment and developed anti-OSMR monoclonal antibodies for the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of human diseases, such as cancer and immunological disorders.
Benefits/Technology Advantages
- The OSMR-binding antibodies can reduce cellular signaling mediated through the IL6/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway and can be used to inhibit cancer cell proliferation
- The anti-OSMR antibodies could be used in the diagnosis and/or treatment of cancers, for example, certain types of ovarian cancer that have failed to respond adequately to other conventional treatments
Potential Applications
- Use for detection, diagnosis, and therapeutic treatment of human diseases, including cancer and immunological disorders
- Production of diagnostic kits for use in detecting and diagnosing cancer, as well as for cancer therapies
- Therapeutic potential as a new class of cancer immunotherapy
UTHealth Ref. No.: 2020-0057
Inventors: Dr. Zhiqiang An, Dr. Ningyan Zhang, Dr. Pradeep Chaluvally-Raghavan, et. al.
Intellectual Property Status: PCT/US2022/074276 filed; Available for licensing
Associated Publications: Cancer Res. 2021 Oct 15; 81(20):5336-5352. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-0483