Innovation Ventures
Targeting NTRK1 for Treatment of Allergic Inflammatory Conditions

Targeting NTRK1 for Treatment of Allergic Inflammatory Conditions

Summary

Pharmacological targeting of NTRK1 using small molecule inhibitors may reduce allergic inflammation.

Overview

IL-13 and neutrophins are functionally important to the pathogenesis of allergic disease. Drs. Rothenberg and Rochman have discovered that in epithelial cells, NTRK1 (a high-affinity receptor for nerve growth factor, NGF) is an early transcriptional target of IL-13. Furthermore, in epithelial cells, IL-13 and NGF synergistically express genes important to allergic disease, including eotaxin-3 (CCL26). In a model of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), NTRK1 was increased and dynamically expressed as a function of disease activity, while its ligand NGF was constitutively expressed in control and disease states. This suggests that IL-13 stimulated NTRK1 induction is a limiting factor in pathway activation. Pharmacological inhibition of NTRK1 may be a novel and important mechanism for limiting allergic disease pathogenesis.

Applications

Therapeutic treatment of allergic inflammatory conditions

Value Proposition

  • Commercially available, highly specific NTRK1 inhibitors are available for use
  • Targets a wide range of eosinophilic disorders
  • Reapplication of lestaurtinib (CEP-701), and crizotinib

Market Overview

Eosinophilic disorders range from the very common, such as asthma and atopic dermatitis, which affect nearly 8% and 9-30% of the US population respectively, to rare diseases such as eosinophilic gastroenteritis (10/100,000) and hypereosinophilic syndrome.

Investigator

Marc E. Rothenberg, MD, PhD & Marc Rochman, PhD, Division of Allergy and Immunology

Questions about this technology?

Evan Meyer

Evan Meyer, BS, MBA

  • Director of Portfolio Management (Interim), Portfolio Manager, Small Molecule therapies