Compounds and methods for regulating cell differentiation

Patent Number: 6908732

The use of various bile extracts for treatment of cancer is known in the art. The Canadian company Lorus Therapeutics developed a drug called Virulizing from cow bile extracts.

This patent teaches the use of bilins for treatment of cancer through induction of cellular differentiation. The advantage of inducing cancer cell differentiation is the possibility of a less toxic approach in contrast to chemotherapy. Additionally, differentiation therapy has already demonstrated proof of priniciple in some areas, such as in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia.

The independent claims of the patent are:

A method for promoting colon adenocarcinoma cell differentiation, comprising treating a colon adenocarcinoma cell with a bilin.

A method for promoting colon adenocarcinoma cell differentiation, comprising administering to a patient a pharmaceutical preparation comprising a sterile pharmaceutical excipient and a bilin.

A method for promoting colon adenocarcinoma cell differentiation, comprising administering to a patient a pharmaceutical preparation comprising a sterile pharmaceutical excipient and a bilin represented by the general formula (I): ##STR17##

View this patent on the USPTO website.