Reduced Spin Trap Compounds for Dense Breast Treatment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Radiometrically-dense breast tissue poses a risk factor for breast cancer and can lead to false negative results in breast cancer screening, and existing antioxidant drugs like nitrone and nitroxide compounds have shown limited efficacy in humans despite effectiveness in animal models due to high uric acid levels.

Innovation Solution

Administration of nitrone, nitroxide, and nitroso compounds in their reduced forms, such as TEMPOL-H, either orally, systemically, or locally, with reducing agents like ascorbic acid to modulate oxidation reactions and reduce breast density.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If nitrone and nitroxide compounds are administered to treat dense breasts, then breast density is reduced, but the treatment shows limited efficacy in humans despite effectiveness in animal models due to high uric acid levels

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment efficacyVSAvoiduric acid interference
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameter of the administered compound from oxidized form (nitroxide/nitrone) to reduced form (hydroxylamine). This parameter change allows the compound to effectively reduce breast density in humans without being inhibited by high uric acid levels, resolving the contradiction between treatment efficacy and uric acid interference that plagues animal model results

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a specific chemical intermediary - the reduced form of spin traps and spin labels - that mediates the interaction between the treatment and uric acid. This intermediary form of the compound can donate electrons to reduce breast tissue density while being resistant to degradation by uric acid, thereby enabling effective treatment in the human physiological environment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If mammography is performed on radiologically-dense breasts, then breast cancer screening is conducted, but false negative results occur reducing detection accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecancer detection accuracyVSAvoidbreast density interference
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by treating dense breast tissue with reduced spin traps before cancer screening. This pre-treatment reduces the breast density that causes false negatives in mammography, thereby improving the accuracy of subsequent cancer detection without requiring changes to the screening process itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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

Significant clearing of breast density is achieved with temporary relief upon treatment cessation and recurrence, indicating potential for managing radiologically dense breasts with reduced forms of these compounds.

Implementation Method 1

Administration of nitrone, nitroxide, and nitroso compounds in their reduced forms, such as TEMPOL-H, either orally, systemically, or locally, with reducing agents like ascorbic acid to modulate oxidation reactions and reduce breast density

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRedox reactions: Redox Reactions

Data Source

PatentUS10028943B2Method for treatment of radiologically-dense breasts
Publication Date: 2018.07.24 ROLLINGPROCTOR DONNA MARIE

AI summary

Nitrone, nitroso, and nitroxide spintraps and spin labels and their reduction products are claimed for the treatment of dense breasts.