Cancer-Associated Antigen Targets Scratch Protein Variant
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cancer treatments lack selectivity, leading to severe side-effects and non-specific toxicity due to their inability to target cancer cells specifically, resulting in damage to healthy tissues and potential development of secondary cancers.
Innovation Solution
A novel cancer-associated antigen variant of Mammalian Scratch, with a transmembrane domain, is identified and used for targeted diagnosis and therapy, allowing for the detection and treatment of cancer cells while sparing normal cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cancer treatments (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy) are used to treat cancer, then cancer cells can be eliminated, but healthy tissues are damaged causing severe side-effects and non-specific toxicity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the treatment approach by identifying and targeting specific molecular structures (transmembrane domains of Scratch protein variants) that are present on cancer cells but absent on normal cells. This allows the therapeutic agent to be divided into targeted components that selectively bind to cancer cells, eliminating the need for non-specific chemotherapy or radiation that damages healthy tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary target molecule (the transmembrane domain of Scratch protein variant) that mediates between the therapeutic agent and the cancer cell. This intermediary provides a specific binding site that allows targeted delivery of treatment to cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, resolving the contradiction between treatment effectiveness and tissue damage.
2Reliability
If surgical resection is performed with safety margins to ensure complete removal of tumor cells, then cancer treatment success is improved, but healthy tissue is removed increasing morbidity and risk of complications
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses the transmembrane domain of Scratch protein variant as an intermediary marker that is exclusively present on cancer cells. This intermediary enables precise identification and targeting of cancer cells without affecting adjacent healthy cells, eliminating the need for wide surgical margins and preserving healthy tissue while ensuring complete tumor removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by creating a treatment that is specifically active only at the location of cancer cells (where the Scratch protein variant transmembrane domain is expressed). The therapeutic agent exhibits localized action targeting only cancer cells with the specific molecular marker, while having no effect on healthy cells that lack this marker, thus avoiding the need to remove healthy tissue as a safety margin.
3Reliability
If radiation and chemotherapy are used to kill cancer cells, then tumor growth is controlled, but normal cells are damaged causing serious side-effects and risk of secondary cancer
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the therapeutic approach by targeting a specific molecular structure (transmembrane domain of Scratch protein variant) that is segmented or distributed only on cancer cells. This segmentation allows the treatment to be delivered specifically to cancer cells through targeted binding, avoiding the non-specific cell damage caused by conventional radiation and chemotherapy that affect all rapidly dividing cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces the transmembrane domain of Scratch protein variant as an intermediary that mediates selective targeting. This intermediary provides a specific recognition site that allows the therapeutic agent to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells, enabling tumor growth control without the harmful side-effects and secondary cancer risks associated with non-specific radiation and chemotherapy.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a novel cancer-associated antigen that can be used in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer. Further, the invention provides amino acid and nucleic acid sequence of the novel antigen, binding proteins, and immunoconjugates. The invention also relates to diagnostic and therapeutic methods and kits.