Unmet Need
Cancer patients often experience extreme, chronic pain that is addressed through prescription opioids. These opioids can block receptors on NK and T cells, resulting in a reduced ability to initiate apoptosis and therefore a reduced immune response. This, combined with other factors including the cancer itself, chemotherapy and radiation treatments further compromises the immune systems of patients. Therefore, cancer patients need a way to effectively manage pain through opioids without reducing their immune responses.
Technology Overview
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found that opioids can inhibit the ability of T and NK cells to induce apoptosis, and have proposed a gene therapy treatment to address this problem. Through targeting and manipulation of the OPRM, ORPK, OPRD and OPRL genes, the impact on the T and NK cells can be reduced or eliminated, therefore reinstating the immune function of patients.
Stage of Development
This discovery is still in the early stage. Researchers have shown how the opioids impact the T and NK cells, and have identified some genes which can be targeted to reduce this impact. The genetic modification of these genes in T and NK cells is the next step to show the efficacy of the treatment.
