Dio Tree develops novel small molecule technology to treat high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) by targeting the DIO3 enzyme. This first-in-class approach aims to inhibit DIO3, which drives cancer progression by inactivating the tumor-suppressive thyroid hormone T3. The resulting compounds offer a potential treatment paradigm for ovarian cancer patients resistant to current therapies and may apply to other DIO3-dependent malignancies.
Funding
$400K raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Ovarian cancer lacks effective treatment options beyond chemotherapy and surgery, and resistance to existing therapies leads to poor survival rates for most patients. Current PARP inhibitors are only effective for a small subset of patients with BRCA mutations, leaving a large population of ovarian cancer patients with limited therapeutic options.
Solution
DioTree is developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors targeting the DIO3 enzyme, which is highly expressed in aggressive tumors, including high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Inhibition of DIO3 restores the tumor-suppressive actions of thyroid hormone, offering a new treatment paradigm for ovarian cancer and potentially other DIO3-dependent malignancies. DioTree's compounds are designed to specifically target and eliminate DIO3-expressing cells, leading to tumor regression. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that DIO3 inhibitors effectively suppress tumor growth with a high safety profile.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes ovarian cancer patients, including those non-carriers of the BRCA mutation or resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy, as well as patients with other aggressive tumors expressing the DIO3 enzyme.
Features
- Novel small molecules specifically target and inhibit the DIO3 enzyme
- Designed to restore the tumor-suppressive actions of thyroid hormone
- Demonstrated high efficacy in both ovarian cancer cells and mice models
- Confirmed high safety profile through toxicology experiments
- Potential applications beyond ovarian cancer, as DIO3 is expressed in other aggressive tumors such as lung, breast, colon, and pancreatic cancers