IL-1 Inhibitor Combination Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer Cachexia

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Advanced pancreatic cancer patients experience significant weight loss and cachexia, leading to poor prognosis and chemotherapy resistance, with limited treatment options beyond multi-agent cytotoxic therapy.

Innovation Solution

A composition combining interleukin-1 inhibitors, such as monoclonal antibodies against IL-1α, with chemotherapeutic agents like nanoliposomal irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil, to inhibit the interleukin-1 pathway and reduce cachexia severity in pancreatic cancer patients.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multi-agent cytotoxic therapy is used, then cancer treatment is provided, but cachexia and chemotherapy resistance persist

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecancer treatment effectivenessVSAvoidcachexia and chemotherapy resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines interleukin-1 inhibitors with multi-agent cytotoxic therapy to create a composite treatment regimen. This merging of anti-inflammatory agents with chemotherapy agents addresses both cancer treatment and cachexia simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between providing cancer treatment and overcoming chemotherapy resistance and cachexia.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Interleukin-1 inhibitors act as intermediary agents that modulate the inflammatory response between tumor cells and the host immune system. By blocking IL-1 signaling, these inhibitors reduce the pro-inflammatory state that drives cachexia and chemotherapy resistance, thereby improving treatment effectiveness without increasing toxicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If chemotherapy is administered, then cancer is treated, but weight loss and cachexia worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecancer treatmentVSAvoidweight loss and muscle wasting

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful pro-inflammatory state that causes cachexia into a beneficial controlled inflammatory response. By selectively blocking IL-1 signaling, the treatment reduces harmful inflammation-driven weight loss while maintaining the immune system's ability to fight cancer, effectively converting a harmful effect into a beneficial one.

Inventive Principle:

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

Solution Approach 2:

The treatment changes the inflammatory parameter profile by blocking IL-1 signaling, shifting the balance from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory state. This parameter change reduces catabolic processes that cause weight loss and muscle wasting while preserving cancer-fighting immunity, thereby reducing substance loss without compromising cancer treatment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-generated harmful factors

If anti-inflammatory therapy is added, then cachexia is reduced, but treatment complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecachexia severityVSAvoidtreatment regimen complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the treatment into distinct functional components: interleukin-1 inhibitors for anti-inflammatory and cachexia management, and multi-agent cytotoxic therapy for cancer treatment. This segmentation allows each component to address specific aspects of the disease independently, making the complex treatment regimen more manageable and easier to implement clinically.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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

The combination effectively reduces cachexia severity, stabilizes weight, and improves quality of life and survival in pancreatic cancer patients by targeting the interleukin-1 pathway, addressing chemotherapy resistance and cachexia-related fatigue.

Implementation Method 1

Compositions capable of interleukin-1 inhibition are provided for use in combination with cancer therapeutics in the treatment of cancer cachexia

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInterleukin-1 inhibition:

Implementation Method 2

nanoliposomal irinotecan (ONIVYDE)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLiposome encapsulation:

Data Source

PatentUS11795217B2Interleukin-1 inhibition for combination treatment of pancreatic cancer cachexia

Publication Date: 2023.10.24 CEDARS SINAI MEDICAL CENT

AI summary

A composition for IL-1 inhibition in combination with cancer therapies (e.g., chemotherapeutics including chemotherapy protective drugs) is provided for use in treating pancreatic cancer cachexia in patients, so as to reduce weight loss and improve the quality of life and survival of the patients. In one embodiment, the IL-1 inhibitor is an antibody, such as bermekimab, anakinra, canakinumab, gevokizumab, or rilonacept, administered simultaneously or sequentially with iritenocan, 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid to a pancreatic cancer patient.