C12770: Novel Panel of Myosin II Activators for Disease Therapy and Tissue Engineering
Novelty:
A panel of myosin II activators developed to treat disease and useful for tissue engineering in regenerative medicine.
Value Proposition:
Changes in cellular mechanics due to impaired activity of myosin II, a motor protein essential for cell division, motility, and rigidity, is associated with numerous diseases, including myopathies, heart failure, and cancer. This technology provides a panel of small molecule myosin II activators that strongly stimulate the cellular contractile system, valuable as promising new therapeutics for disorders related to defective motor mechanochemistry. Advantages include:
• Permits targeted correction of aberrant cell mechanics via promotion of myosin II activity and accumulation
• Enables differential modulation of cell and tissue mechanics
• Broadly applicable for disease therapy and tissue engineering purposes
Technical Details:
Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a series of small molecules promoting myosin II activity, presenting excellent new compounds for the treatment of diseases associated with impaired cellular mechanics. Failure in processes guiding cell and tissue motility and morphogenesis can result in a multitude of different diseases, and compounds to correct these aberrant cell mechanics are strongly needed. Using a recently developed Dictyostelium drug discovery platform, inventors identified a panel of small molecules that serve as activators of motor protein myosin II by strongly promoting its assembly and recruitment to contractile structures in the cell. Besides presenting powerful new therapeutics for numerous diseases including metastatic cancers, the reported compounds may also prove useful for tissue engineering in regenerative medicine.
Looking for Partners:
To develop and commercialize this technology as novel myosin II modulators for disease therapy and tissue engineering.
Stage of Development:
Pre-Clinical
Data Availability:
Under CDA / NDA
Publications/Associated Cases:
Not available at this time
