Miller School of Medicine >> UM Innovation >> Coulter Center >> Technologies
 
ID# CC001
Breakthrough Treatment for Asthma and Other Inflammatory Lung Diseases
Drs. Eckhard Podack, Vadim Deyev, and Robert Levy
 
Problem
Chronic and acute airway inflammation is a major cause of symptoms and is responsible for abnormal lung function in asthma, even in those patients labeled as having mild disease. Current treatments for asthma ameliorate symptoms, but are unable to alter progression of the disease.
 
Solution
Researchers at the University of Miami have discovered a novel signaling pathway that is at the origin of a chain of events resulting in lung inflammation and asthma. Blocking these early signaling events offers the potential to significantly interfere with disease or cure the patients from chronic lung inflammation.
 
Competitive Advantage
  • Target specificity unparalleled in conventional treatments
  • Reduce or eliminate many of the side-effects of current treatments
  • Could cure asthma and other inflammatory lung diseases
 
Applications
The present invention provides novel compositions and methods utilizing immunomodulating agents that can either stimulate or indirectly augment the immune system or in other cases have an immunosuppressive effect. The invention can thus be used, among other things, to treat disease caused by asthma and chronic inflammation such as for example inflammatory bowel diseases including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease. The invention is also capable of increasing the effectiveness of a chemotherapeutic regimen by depleting a cancer patient of naturally occurring immunosuppressive cells.
 
Patent Status
US and PCT applications pending (US2007128184, WO2007027751).
 
Licensing Opportunity
The University of Miami is seeking a company to license a novel approach for treatment of asthma and other inflammatory lung diseases, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. 
 
About the Inventors
Eckhard Podack, M.D. is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami. Dr. Podack has over 200 peer reviewed publications, more than 50 invited reviews, and has been consistently funded by NIH and other funding agencies. He is currently involved in several clinical trials funded by industry and other organizations. Several of Dr. Podack’s patents have been licensed and commercially explored by various companies.
 
Selected References
E. Podack et al., “Essential role of TNFRSF25 in the development of allergic lung inflammation”, Journal of Experimental Medicine (accepted).
 
 

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