SBIR-STTR Award

Development of Novel Lung Cancer Therapeutics Targeting the Dna Damage Response
Award last edited on: 4/3/19

Sponsored Program
STTR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NCI
Total Award Amount
$299,275
Award Phase
1
Solicitation Topic Code
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Principal Investigator
John J Turchi

Company Information

NERx BioSciences Inc

212 West 10th Street Suite A480
Indianapolis, IN 46202
   (317) 612-4672
   info@nerxbiosciences.com
   www.nerxbiosciences.com

Research Institution

Indiana University - Purdue

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R41CA195926-01
Start Date: 6/1/15    Completed: 5/31/16
Phase I year
2015
Phase I Amount
$249,431
Development of novel lung cancer therapeutics targeting the DNA damage response. Abstract Lung tissue is constantly exposed to a wide variety of inhaled chemical agents. While the majority of these maybe innocuous, those that damage DNA have severe consequences. Thus, the DNA damage response (DDR) and DNA repair in these tissues is extremely important. The vast majorities of lung cancers are diagnosed in older individuals and can be attributed to complications from tobacco smoke exposure where it has been estimated that one mutation is generated for every 15 cigarettes smoked. While we have made significant strides in treatment options for non-smoking lung cancer patients with identifiable "driver" mutations, there have been relatively few advances in treatment of smoking-induced lung cancers. The research in this phase I STTR application exploits two important, novel findings. The first is data we recently obtained demonstrating that lung cancer patients treated with adjuvant cisplatin chemotherapy after surgery with high XPA (xeroderma pigmentosum group A) expression correlates with a decrease in overall survival. This correlation is unique to XPA and not observed with other DNA repair genes, consistent with XPA being the limiting factor in nucleotide excision repair (NER). These preliminary data serves as the rationale for targeting XPA for adjuvant combination therapy in this patient population. The second advance driving this research is our recent development of novel XPA inhibitors (XPA inhibitors). We originally identified XPA inhibitors with modest activity (IC50's of 50-100 µM) an have recently developed derivatives with IC50's in the nM range. In a single aim, we will exploit our recently discovered structure activity relationships (SAR) to complete lead optimization to maximize bioavailability, potency and specificity of XPA inhibitors. We then will interrogate the i vivo effects including PK/PD, toxicity and efficacy. Completion of these studies will provide essential information for IND enabling studies towards the development of a novel therapeutic treatment for smoking- induced lung cancer.

Public Health Relevance Statement:


Public Health Relevance:
The development of novel cancer therapeutics is directly relevant to human health.

Project Terms:
Abbreviations; abstracting; Address; Adjuvant; Adverse effects; Attention; Automobile Driving; base; Biochemical; Biological Availability; Breathing; Calorimetry; cancer cell; cancer diagnosis; Cancer Patient; cancer therapy; Cell Line; Cells; Chemical Agents; Chemistry; chemotherapy; Cigarette; Cisplatin; Clinical; Clinical Data; clinical efficacy; Clinical Pharmacology; Combined Modality Therapy; Computer Simulation; Data; Development; DNA Binding Domain; DNA Damage; DNA Repair; DNA Repair Gene; Drug Kinetics; Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor; good laboratory practice; Grant; hazard; Health; Human; In Vitro; in vivo; Individual; inhibitor/antagonist; Investigational Drugs; Lead; lung small cell carcinoma; Malignant neoplasm of lung; Malignant Neoplasms; Mus; Mutation; Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma; non-smoking; Nonhomologous DNA End Joining; novel; novel therapeutics; Nucleotide Excision Repair; Operative Surgical Procedures; overexpression; patient population; Permeability; Pharmaceutical Chemistry; Pharmacodynamics; Phase; public health relevance; Reagent; repaired; replication factor A; Research; response; Safety; Small Business Technology Transfer Research; Smoke; Smoking; Solid; Specificity; Structure of parenchyma of lung; Structure-Activity Relationship; Sun Exposure; Therapeutic; therapeutic target; Time; Tissues; Tobacco smoke; Toxic effect; Xenograft Model; Xeroderma Pigmentosum

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
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Phase II Amount
$49,844