# US 12,109,191 B2 · Materials and methods for inhibiting tumor growth > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,191 B2 - Document ID: US12109191B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/652,973 - Filed: 2018-10-02 - Published: 2020-10-15 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-02 - Assignees: AmiLyfe, LLC; University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc. - Applicants: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated; AmiLyfe, LLC - Inventors: Sadasivan Vidyasagar; Reshu Gupta; Stephen Gatto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109191B2 ## CPC - A61K 31/401: Proline; Derivatives thereof, e.g. captopril - A61K 31/198: Alpha-amino acids, e.g. alanine or edetic acid [EDTA] (betaine A61K31/205; proline A61K31/401; tryptophan A61K31/405; histidine A61K31/4172; peptides not degraded to individual amino acids A61K38/00) - A61K 31/405: Indole-alkanecarboxylic acids; Derivatives thereof, e.g. tryptophan, indomethacin - A61K 31/4172: Imidazole-alkanecarboxylic acids, e.g. histidine - A61P 35/00: Antineoplastic agents - A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D) - A61P: SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS ## Abstract The subject invention provides compositions and methods for inhibiting the growth and/or proliferation of cancer cells. The subject invention also provides methods for treating cancer in a subject in need of such treatment by administering a composition described herein. The subject invention can be used to inhibit cancer cell growth by exposing the cells to a composition. The subject invention further provides cancer treatments that may be used in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A formulation for inhibiting proliferation of cancer cells comprising: a therapeutically effective amount of free amino acids, the free amino acids consisting essentially of or consisting of free amino acids of: proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, and valine; or proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine, asparagine, and glycine; and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, buffer, electrolyte, adjuvant, or excipient; wherein a therapeutically effective amount of the formulation inhibits proliferation of cancer cells. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The formulation of claim 1, wherein the formulation does not comprise free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine, or any combination thereof; or when the formulation does comprise free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine, or any combination thereof, the free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine, or any combination thereof are present in negligible amounts. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The formulation of claim 1, wherein the cancer cells express anoctamin (ANO), wherein the ANO is anoctamin-1 (ANO-1). ### Claim 4 A method of treating cancer expressing anoctamin (ANO) in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a formulation comprising: a therapeutically effective amount of free amino acids, the free amino acids consisting essentially of or consisting of free amino acids of: proline serine, threonine, tyrosine, and valine; or proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine, asparagine, and glycine; and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, buffer, electrolyte, adjuvant, or excipient; wherein the cancer expressing ANO comprises cancer cells and a therapeutically effective amount of the formulation inhibits proliferation of the cancer cells. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the formulation does not comprise free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine, or any combination thereof, or when the formulation does comprise free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine, or any combination thereof, the free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine are present in negligible amounts. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the ANO is anoctamin-1 (ANO-1). ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the cancer comprises nasopharyngeal carcinoma, breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, or bladder cancer. ### Claim 8 A method of inhibiting cancer cell proliferation comprising exposing cancer cells expressing anoctamin (ANO) to a formulation comprising: an effective amount of free amino acids, the free amino acids consisting essentially of or consisting of free amino acids of: proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, and valine; or proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine, asparagine, and glycine; and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, buffer, electrolyte, adjuvant, or excipient; wherein the effective amount of the free amino acids inhibits proliferation of the cancer cells expressing ANO. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the formulation does not comprise free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine, or any combination thereof; or when the formulation does comprise free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine, or any combination thereof, the free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine are present in negligible amounts. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method of downregulating anoctamin (ANO) expression in at least one cancer cell, the method comprising contacting the at least one cancer cell with an effective amount of a formulation of claim 1, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the free amino acids downregulates ANO expression in the at least one cancer cell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the formulation does not comprise free amino acids of glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid, alanine, or isoleucine, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the anoctamin is ANO1.