Catecholamine Inhibition to Prevent Cytokine Release Syndrome

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) poses a significant threat due to uncontrolled inflammation, leading to cardiovascular collapse and multiple organ dysfunction, particularly in response to infections and biologics or immunotherapeutics, limiting the utility of these treatments.

Innovation Solution

Administering catecholamine inhibitors such as tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitors (metyrosine), natriuretic peptides (ANP), or adrenergic receptor blockers (prazosin) to disrupt catecholamine synthesis and secretion, thereby preventing the self-amplifying loop that orchestrates immune dysregulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If biologics or immunotherapeutics are administered to treat diseases, then therapeutic efficacy is improved, but cytokine release syndrome develops causing cardiovascular collapse and organ dysfunction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetherapeutic efficacyVSAvoidcytokine release syndrome

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by administering catecholamine inhibitors (such as metyrosine, prazosin, or propranolol) before or during immunotherapy administration to prevent the development of CRS. These inhibitors block catecholamine synthesis or action in advance, disrupting the self-amplifying loop that orchestrates immune dysregulation and cytokine release, thereby preventing the harmful effects while allowing the therapeutic agent to exert its beneficial effects

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Productivity

If immunotherapeutics are administered to kill cancer cells, then cancer treatment efficacy is improved, but excessive cytokine release limits the utility of these agents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecancer treatment efficacyVSAvoidexcessive cytokine release

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful excessive cytokine release into a beneficial outcome by using catecholamine inhibitors to block the harmful pathway while preserving the therapeutic mechanism. The inhibitors selectively interfere with the catecholamine-mediated amplification loop that causes toxicity, allowing the immunotherapy to continue killing cancer cells effectively without the harmful cytokine storm

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS12564622B2Preventing cytokine release syndrome

Publication Date: 2026.03.03 JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

AI summary

Provided herein are methods and materials for preventing cytokine release syndrome (CRS). For example, methods and materials for using one or more catecholamine inhibitors to prevent a mammal from developing CRS are provided.