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US 2009/0264398 A1Published application
Method for inducing tumor apoptosis by increasing nitric oxide levels
AssigneeUniversitatsklinikum Freiburg
InventorGeorg Bauer
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AssigneeUniversitatsklinikum Freiburg
InventorGeorg Bauer
Estimating the term…
The present invention refers to a method for inducing tumor apoptosis by influencing the ROS (reactive oxygen species) signaling pathway in tumor cells. Increasing the level of ROS leads to the selective inactivation of a tumor cell catalase and subsequently to an apoptosis of these cells. The level of ROS can be increased by increasing the level of nitric oxide through inhibition of the enzymes nitric oxide dioxygenase or arginase. According to the present invention inhibitors of the nitric oxide dioxygenase or arginase can be used for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of cancer. The present invention further provides a method for identifying compounds which can be used for the treatment of cancer, wherein the method allows to specifically identify compounds which induce apoptosis through the ROS signaling pathway. The present invention also provides a kit for identifying compounds which induce tumor apoptosis by inactivating a catalase on the tumor cell surface.
A method for identifying compounds that induce tumor apoptosis by inactivating a catalase on a tumor cell surface, said method comprising:
A method for the treatment of cancer comprising the step of administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a medicament comprising a combination of a nitric oxide dioxygenase inhibitor and an arginase inhibitor, wherein the nitric oxide dioxygenase inhibitor reduces the enzyme activity for catalyzing the formation of nitrate from nitric oxide, and wherein the arginase inhibitor reduces the enzyme activity for catalyzing the formation of citrulline from arginine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.