ESTROGEN RECEPTOR LIGAND TREATMENT FOR NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES
|
UCLA Technology Available For Licensing |
BACKGROUND:
Estrogens and estrogen receptor alpha ligand treatments are promising treatments to prevent neurodegeneration in the central nervous system due to diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, etc. Although these treatments are both anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective, many individuals cannot tolerate long durations of treatment. Their intolerance stems from the induction of breast cancer and uterine cancer, each of which are mediated by estrogen receptor alpha in the breast and uterus, respectively. Therefore, there is a need for a treatment that is both neuroprotective and non-cancer inducing.
INNOVATION:
Researchers at UCLA have identified the neuroprotective aspect of estrogen receptor beta ligand treatments. With this discovery, there is now a potential neuroprotective treatment for MS sufferers and neurodegenerative disease suffers that will include the use of estrogen receptor beta ligand treatments for longer durations. Since estrogens cause breast and uterine cancer in a dose dependent manner, high doses of estrogens cannot be used. In contrast, relatively high doses of an estrogen receptor beta agonist could be used to achieve therapeutic efficacy in neurodegenerative diseases without the accompanying risks of cancer.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
- Prevention of neurodegeneration in the central nervous system due to neurodegenerative diseases
ADVANTAGES
- Neuroprotection without induction of breast or uterine cancer
- Estrogen receptor beta ligand treatments can be tolerated for long durations
- Does not induce breast and/or uterine cancer
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE: The estrogen receptor beta ligand treatment has been proven to be effective in mice models of MS.
Reference: UCLA Case No. 2007-791
For additional technical details and current licensing
availability,
please contact the following UCLA office:
UCLA Office of Intellectual Property
11000 Kinross Avenue, Suite #200
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Tel: 310-794-0558 Fax: 310-794-0638
email: ncd@research.ucla.edu
|
NCD URL: http://www.research.ucla.edu/tech/ucla07-791.htm
|
UCLA Technologies Available for
Licensing
http://www.research.ucla.edu/oipa/industry
Copyright © 2007 The Regents of the
University of California.
keywords: estrogen receptor beta ligand, neurodegeneration, anti-inflammatory, central nervous system, neuroprotective
uclancd ucla latest inventions technology top ten 10 technologies intellectual property patents technology transfer invention business card