TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
Dr Alexandre Prat and his team have identified a new adhesion molecule, MCAM, that is involved in leukocyte trafficking to the CNS. MCAM is expressed on BBB endothelial cells and by human effector CD8 T lymphocytes. It is strikingly upregulated during MS relapses, suggesting that MCAM could represent a biomarker of MS disease activity, non-invasively measured in peripheral blood.
Most importantly, they demonstrate that neutralizing MCAM significantly reduces both adhesion and transmigration of CD8 T lymphocytes on human BBB ECs, especially under inflammatory conditions. In vivo, MCAM blockade reduced long-term disability in the MOG-induced C57BL/6 EAE model and prevented the development of chronic neurologic deficits in the spontaneous EAE model. Therefore, it could emerge as a valuable therapeutic target to dampen CNS infiltration as a treatment for MS.
Development Status : Validated biomarker and a pre-validated therapeutic target.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
- Non-invasive biomarkers
- First-of-its kind treatment
- Strong in vivo evidences
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
- Technology available for in-licensing
- Seeking for industrial co-development partner (diagnostic and/or treatment)
- Eligibility to government financing for industry/academic maturation program
IP PROTECTION
US 8,293,468
US 9,017,682
CA 2,676,962
AU2009212789A1
