Annexin V Blocking of Tumor PS to Counter Immunosuppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cancer cells evade immune recognition through phosphatidylserine (PS) expression, leading to immunosuppression and tumor progression, necessitating a therapy that effectively blocks PS binding to enhance the immune response against tumors.
Innovation Solution
Administering annexin V protein or its functional fragments to competitively block PS binding sites on tumor cells, thereby disrupting the interaction between tumor cells and immunoregulatory cells, which can be combined with other cancer therapies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If PS is exposed on tumor cells to facilitate immune recognition, then immune system can detect tumor cells, but immunosuppressive regulatory T-cells are activated leading to tumor evasion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance (anti-PS antibody or PS-binding protein) that mediates the interaction between PS-expressing tumor cells and the immune system. This intermediary blocks the harmful interaction between PS and regulatory T-cells while preserving or enhancing beneficial immune recognition, thereby resolving the contradiction between immune detection and immunosuppression
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts or removes the harmful effect of PS by using antibodies or binding proteins that specifically sequester PS on tumor cells. By taking out the PS molecule's harmful immunosuppressive function while maintaining its structural presence for potential diagnostic purposes, the contradiction is resolved
2Productivity
If conventional cancer therapies are used, then tumor cells can be killed, but tumor immunoevasion and metastasis are not effectively addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges conventional tumor-killing approaches with immunomodulation by combining PS-targeting therapies with other cancer treatments. This combination approach simultaneously achieves tumor cell elimination and enhances immune response, addressing both productivity and reliability concerns
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional therapy where PS-binding agents serve multiple purposes: they can mark tumor cells for immune recognition, block immunosuppression, and potentially serve as diagnostic markers. This universal approach addresses multiple aspects of cancer treatment simultaneously
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the host immune response against tumors by blocking T-reg immunosuppression, providing a well-tolerated anti-tumor effect and potentially synergizing with other treatment modalities.
Implementation Method 1
annexin V protein binds to phosphatidylserine (PS) on tumor cells, thereby blocking T-reg immunosuppression
Data Source
AI summary
Methods are provided for treating a subject with cancer, with a therapeutic dose of annexin V to the subject.