Researchers at Colorado State University have synthesized more stable vanadium citrate complexes. These novel complexes exhibit better stability at pH ranges similar to in-vivo pH ranges, indicating the complexes can be used for direct intratumoral injections for cancer treatment. The vanadium complexes have a capacity to and promote anti-tumor immunity simultaneously. Therefore, these vanadium citrate complexes are particularly useful when used in conjunction with oncolytic viruses (OVs), as they improve the replication and spread of oncolytic RNA viruses while simultaneously enhancing immune stimulation.
Currently, oncolytic viruses are typically delivered intratumorally in patients. The first approved OV product in North America and Europe, Imlygic, is administered in multiple superficial cancerous lesions in the context of treating advanced melanoma. Intravenous delivery of OVs still remains a hurdle, however, as substantial amounts of virus are either 1) captured by sink organs like the liver and lungs, 2) neutralized by blood and immune cells, or 3) hindered by poor vascularization and other tumor microenvironment-associated barriers.
Until such hurdles are overcome to allow for effective systemic delivery of OVs, there remains a significant need for methods to improve the effectiveness and efficaciousness of OVs delivered intratumorally, in such a way that would not be difficult for clinicians to administer.
The novel vanadium citrate complexes have been formulated to effectively deliver vanadium ions and remain stable in tumor microenvironments. The complexes have also been incorporated into a single formulation with oncolytic viruses, thus enabling a single injection intratumorally to treat cancer and reduce side effects to nearby
Methods are proprietary, please contact our office for more information!
Available for Licensing
TRL: 3
US Patent Pending
CA Patent Pending
Debbie Crans
Heide Murakami
Kateryna Kostenkova
Steve Foster
Steve.Foster@colostate.edu
970-491-7100