Diagnostic and Treatment Target for Checkpoint Inhibitor Pneumonitis

Unmet Need

Checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP) can develop as a complication of cancer immunotherapy and is the leading cause of treatment-related death. CIP incidence will continue to rise as immunotherapy treatments become more widespread. However, there are no reliable biomarkers for CIP diagnosis or prognosis. Current approaches for CIP management rely on the use of high dose steroids, which can have significant off-target effects in cancer patients. Therefore, there is a strong need to identify diagnostic and therapeutic targets for CIP that will improve health outcomes for these vulnerable patients.

Value Proposition

• Protein identified that plays a key role in CIP pathophysiology and can be measured in serum or other bodily fluids (e.g., bronchiolar lavage fluid).
• Potent biomarker for use in diagnostic/prognostic assays for CIP and related conditions.
• Therapeutic target that may improve outcomes for patients with CIP and related conditions.

Technology Description

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have identified a protein target that plays a key role in CIP pathogenesis. When delivered to healthy alveolar tissue, this protein can independently induce inflammation in both in vitro and mouse models. As such, this protein may serve as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CIP and lung injury.

Stage of Development

• Role of protein target in CIP and lung inflammation has been validated in vitro (human cell lines) and in vivo (mouse models.
• Looking for commercial partners to assist with clinical assay design and drug development.