Indiana University innovations land patents
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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded a patent to an Indiana University-led innovation involving Alzheimer’s disease research and two other innovations involving cancer treatment.
The patent related to Alzheimer’s is for a method of using genetically modified mice to screen compounds used in treating the disease. The mice express proteins considered risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which will be helpful in identifying potential therapies, the university said.
The method was developed by Bruce Lamb and The Jackson Laboratory, a not-for-profit biomedical research organization founded in Bar Harbor, Maine. Lamb is an IU professor and the executive director of the Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at the IU School of Medicine.
The second patent was for a small molecule inhibitor in the treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer. Small molecule inhibitors are drugs or organic compounds. This particular drug inhibits ALDH protein cells, which are resistant to chemotherapy and spread tumors.
The small molecule inhibitor was developed by IU professor Thomas Hurley, associate dean for graduate education at the IU School of Medicine and a member of the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The third patent was for a compound that prevents the growth of cancer cells in bladder, pancreas, prostate, colon, skin and lung cancers. The compound targets proteins known as Ral GTPases.
The compound was developed by Samy Meroueh, who was an IU professor for more than 18 years and a member of the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is the co-founder of Kovina Therapeutics, an Indianapolis biotech company.
The innovations were disclosed to the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office, which aims to transfer IU innovations from lab to market to benefit the public, the university said.