Miller School of Medicine >> UM Innovation >> Technology Transfer >> For Industry
 
ID# UMG-05
Use of Tetracycline to Treat Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)
Marilyn K. Glassberg, Sharon J. Elliot and Michael Karl
 
Problem
LAM is characterized by an unusual type of muscle cell that invades the tissue of the lungs, including the airways, blood and lymph vessels. Over time, these muscle cells form into bundles and grow into the walls of the airways, and blood and lymph vessels, causing them to become obstructed.  The only known cure for patients with this severe disease is lung transplantation. Oxygen therapy may become necessary with worsening lung function.  LAM occurs almost exclusively in women, usually between the onset of puberty and menopause.  A therapeutic approach to a cure or improvement would have an enormous socio-economic impact.
 
Solution
 The inventors discovered that systemic administration of doxycycline reduces the progression of LAM by interfering with the mechanism of tissue destruction by decreasing the production of important molecules in the chain of events (metalloproteases MMP-2 and MMP-9).  The preclinical testing is well advanced and preliminary human clinical trials have demonstrated proof of principle in twenty patients.  The dosage form of doxycycline is anticipated to be novel and ideally suited to treat LAM.
 
Competitive Advantage
This is the only known treatment for LAM which has the potential to delay or eliminate the need for lung transplant.  While being treated in preliminary clinical testing the patients were able to be more active and enjoyed a better quality of life.
 
Applications
This technology can be applied to treat LAM.
 
Patent Status
The University is seeking worldwide patent protection and the initial patent application was filed on September 13, 2006.
 
Licensing Opportunity
We are seeking a collaborative partnership for preclinical and clinical testing and commercialization of this novel therapeutic for LAM.
 
About the Inventors
Dr. Glassberg is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.  Dr. Glassberg is an internationally recognized expert in the field of cellular and molecular mechanisms of pulmonary disease states and the leading authority on LAM.  Sharon Elliot, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Elliot has spent the last 25 years working in the field of receptor biology. Her initial studies on the role of IGF-I in renal development and glomerulosclerosis were pursued during her training at the NIH. She subsequently spent one year at the Hormone and Fertility Institute in Hamburg Germany where she gained invaluable experience in research on Women’s Health and hormones. This was followed by a year post-doctoral training with Dr. Beatrice Olsen working on steroid hormones. She has since continued her research on hormonal regulation of extracellular matrix accumulation in diseases of the eye, kidney and the skin. She is a member of several professional societies and serves on the review boards for a number of professional journals and funding agencies.
 
Selected References
Glassberg, MK, Elliot, SJ, Fritzl, MP, Donahue, R, Stetler-Stevenson, W and Karl, M, Activation of the Estrogen Receptor contributes to the Progression of Pulmonary Lymphangioleiomyomatosis via MMP-induced Cell Invasiveness, in press Tattersfield AE, Glassberg MK, Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: a national registry for a rare disease, Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., 2006 Jan 1;173(1):2-4. Glassberg MK, Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, Clin. Chest Med., 2004 Sep;25(3):573-82, vii. Review Elliot SJ, Karl M, Berho M, Xia X, Pereria-Simon S, Espinosa-Heidmann D, Striker GE, Smoking induces glomerulosclerosis in aging estrogen-deficient mice through cross-talk between TGF-beta1 and IGF-I signaling pathways, J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., 2006 Dec;17(12):3315-24
 
 

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