University of Louisville Research Foundation

Chi Li

John Olaf Trent

John W Eaton

Kavitha Yaddanapudi

Provided are compositions, optionally pharmaceutical compositions, that include a plurality of exosomes generated from stem cells, optionally ESCs and/or iPSCs, that have been modified to express a granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) polypeptide, optionally a human GM-CSF polypeptide. Also provided are methods for employing the presently disclosed compositions for preventing and/or inhibiting tumor growth in subjects in need thereof, for preventing and/or inhibiting metastases in subject in need thereof, for inducing anti-tumor immune responses in subjects, and uses of the presently disclosed compositions for prevention and/or treatment of tumors and/or cancers and for the preparation of medicaments for treatment of tumors and/or cancers.

Method of inhibiting lung or breast cancer growth with engineered embryonic stem-cell derived exosomes compositions

The pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein Bax initiates apoptosis in almost all apoptotic paradigms. Agents facilitating disruptive Bax insertion into mitochondrial membranes have potential as cancer therapeutics. Small molecule compounds associating with the hydrophobic groove of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein Bax have been identified and found to promote Bax-dependent, but not Bak-dependent, apoptosis. The compounds alter Bax protein stability in vitro and promote Bax insertion into mitochondria, leading to Bax-dependent mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization and apoptosis. The compounds activating the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein Bax inhibit the growth of tumors by inducing apoptosis. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds that activate Bax and induce Bax-dependent apoptosis are useful as anti-cancer therapeutic agents alone or with other anti-cancer agents. Methods for inducing apoptosis and for treating cancer involve administering the compounds to a patient in need thereof.

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Prospect, KY, United States of America

Chi Li