Sponsor: Receptor Logic, Ltd.

• Project duration: 10/1/2004 - 9/30/2007
• Total project (est.): $2,722,000
• Requested ATP funds: $2,000,000

The overall goal of Receptor Logic's ATP project is to develop a cancer profiling and immunotherapy platform for breast cancer. One of every four deaths in the United States is from cancer and breast cancer alone claimed 41,000 lives in 2001. Cancer death rates and associated losses in productivity could be reduced through the development of more effective diagnostic and treatment methods, especially those that can be customized for individual patients. Receptor Logic proposes to develop a new class of antibodies that mimic T cell receptors (TCR mimics) and can identify and attack tumor-specific human leukocyte antigen complexes (HLA). HLA are present on virtually all cells and display cancer targets on tumor cell surfaces. The company will demonstrate proof of concept by designing six TCR mimics to act against three targets previously known to be on the surface of breast cancer cells and three newly discovered targets. The next step is to demonstrate TCR mimics' ability to bind human breast cancer cells in an animal model, inhibit tumor spread, and reduce tumor size. Creation of TCR mimics will require advances in monoclonal antibody technology to produce, identify, and clone the antibodies. A library of TCR mimics would enable researchers and clinicians to stain a patient's biopsy and profile a tumor for research and diagnostic purposes. Immunotherapies will then be developed using appropriate TCR mimics conjugated to toxins which will destroy tumors. Pure Protein LLC (Oklahoma City, Okla.) will perform a variety of subcontract tasks, including the use of proprietary mass spectrometry technology to discover tumor associated HLA complexes utilizing its license from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (Oklahoma City, Okla.). Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy (Amarillo, Texas) will provide consulting services. The ATP funding will accelerate and broaden the potential benefits of the project and is necessary because the research involves too much risk for private investors. The advance has the potential to save hundreds of millions of dollars by reducing costs associated with cancer-related productivity losses and, if successfully developed, the new platform would lead to more sensitive and accurate tools for diagnosing and treating breast cancer for patients who might have exhausted all other options.

For project information:

Tony Taylor, (512) 263-3232 x210
ttaylor@receptorlogic.com

ATP Project Manager

Douglas Jones, 301-975-2004
doug.jones@nist.gov

This is the fact sheet for this project as it was announced on September 28, 2004.
Click here for the latest version of this fact sheet.
Visit the Advanced Technology Program Home Page