Wits Commercial Enterprise
Overview of innovation

The invention relates to compounds for use in the treatment of telomere related diseases and/or telomere related medical conditions, particularly wherein said telomere related diseases and/or telomere related medical conditions are cancer and cellular ageing. Particularly, herein is disclosed 37 kDa/67 kDa laminin receptor precursor/ high affinity laminin receptor (LRP/LR) and/or a fragment thereof for use in the treatment and/or prevention of cellular ageing. Current treatments lack effective solutions for telomere-related diseases and medical conditions such as cancer and cellular ageing, which are associated with telomere shortening and related disorders like osteoporosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The use of a 37 kDa/67 kDa laminin receptor precursor (LRP/LR) or its fragments, which are administered to increase hTERT levels and telomerase activity, thereby extending telomere length and reducing senescent markers, is proposed for therapeutic and non-therapeutic applications, including the treatment of various age-related diseases and conditions.

Type of Intellectual Property protection
Patent
Innovation Opportunity Type
Licensing
Partnership
Sales
Industry
Human health and social work activities
Human health activities
Technology Readiness Level
TRL 2 – Practical application identified