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Thus far the progress in our fight against cancer has come at a heavy price in the form of devastating side effects. While they are meant to kill cancer cells, most cancer drugs also destroy normal tissues. Mucositis (painful sores and ulcers in the lining of the mouth) is a common complication of chemotherapy and/ or radiation, affecting approximately 80% of patients who undergo this intensive treatment prior to bone marrow transplantation.

Cancer is the second largest cause of mortality in the U.S., but researchers have made tremendous progress in developing new and effective treatments to reduce these mortalities. The National Cancer Institute’s 2015 challenge goal is to turn cancer from a killer into a chronic disease in the next ten years. Thus far, progress in the fight against cancer has come at a heavy price in the form of devastating side effects. While meant to kill cancer cells, most cancer drugs also destroy normal tissue. 

The researchers have developed a group of compounds useful in treating a wide variety of diseases, many of which are chronic and painful for those afflicted. These compounds, known as adenosine A3 receptor agonists, are small molecules that bind to adenosine A3 receptor and induce their biological activity. The adenosine A3 receptors are embedded in cell surfaces and are important for communicating the need for a cell to initiate activity in response to adenosine detected outside the cell. Adenosine is important in the body’s response to chronic or acute tissue stress or cell damage.

“Intellectual property (IP) development and the licensing of IP is an essential component of innovation in our knowledge-based economy. Each year, major IP deals between companies help drive innovation and ensure that new products continue to reach businesses and consumers.” The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce that it has received the “Deals of Distinction Award™” along with Hope Pharmaceuticals and Aires Pharmaceuticals from the Licensing Executive Society (LES).

Abnormal T lymphocyte (T cell) function, including tumor formation in T cells, can lead to a wide variety of diseases. Over 100 million people worldwide suffer from T cell autoimmune disorders of varying severity, such as lupus and graft-versus-host disease, and the incidence of T cell-mediated cancers, including lymphomas and leukemias, has risen over the past decade. These diseases can be deadly, and not all patients respond to standard therapies.

The term “cancer” is used to describe a collection of several diseases that are caused by the aberrant growth of cells and the invasion of these cells into other tissues, where they disrupt normal organ function. Cancers are commonly treated by surgical removal of the cancerous tissue, followed by a regimen of conventional chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Unfortunately, these conventional therapies lack specificity for cancer cells, leading to undesirable side effects that result from the non-specific killing of essential normal cells.

Cancer is caused by the improper regulation of cascading signals, or pathways, within the cell. One of the most prevalent means of fighting cancer involves the development of small molecule drugs and biologics that target and bind various proteins to disrupt certain pathways. The Hedgehog pathway is involved in embryonic development and is activated in many different tumor types. Smoothened (SMO) is a protein that plays an integral role in this pathway. 

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. (Lixte) are collaborating to identify and develop agents that target the Nuclear Receptor CoRepressor (N-COR) pathway. Dr. Zhengping Zhuang’s laboratory at NINDS has determined that several kinds of tumors, including glioblastomas and medulla blastomas, over-express N-CoR. 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system in which the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, typically resulting in muscle weakness, problems with vision and coordination, pain, and, in some patients, cognitive impairments. The disorder affects approximately 400,000 people in the U.S. and more than 2.5 million people worldwide. Patients with relapsing forms of MS are currently treated with one of three FDA-approved interferon-beta agents or with glatiramer acetate.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system in which the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, typically resulting in muscle weakness, problems with vision and coordination, pain, and in some patients, cognitive impairments. The disorder affects approximately 400,000 people in the U.S. and more than 2.5 million people worldwide. Patients with relapsing forms of MS are currently treated with one of three FDA-approved interferon beta agents or with glatiramer acetate.