# Using the Drug TIC10 to Treat Brain Cancer > A patent for using a specific small molecule drug called TIC10 to treat brain cancers like glioblastoma by triggering a natural cell-death process. - **Patent:** US RE46290 - **Original title:** USRE46290E1 - Small molecule trail gene induction by normal and tumor cells as an anticancer therapy - **Owner:** Penn State Research Foundation - **Granted:** 2017 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 3 - **Field:** biotech, pharmaceutical ## What it does This patent describes a method for treating brain cancer by administering a specific chemical compound known as TIC10. The compound works by inducing the expression of a protein called TRAIL, which signals cancer cells to undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The claims cover using this drug alone or in combination with other anti-cancer or anti-angiogenic agents, such as bevacizumab, to fight tumors. It also includes methods for monitoring the treatment's success by measuring TRAIL levels in a patient's blood or cerebrospinal fluid. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover the use of TIC10 for treating diseases other than cancer. - Does not cover chemical compounds that do not match the specific structure defined as Formula (I). - Does not cover general immunotherapy methods that do not rely on the specific TRAIL-induction mechanism of TIC10. - Does not cover diagnostic methods that do not involve assessing TRAIL levels as a marker for treatment effectiveness. ## The clever bit The innovation lies in identifying a small molecule that can cross the blood-brain barrier and specifically upregulate TRAIL, a protein that triggers suicide in cancer cells while often leaving healthy cells unharmed. ## Real-world examples 1. TIC10 (also known as ONC201) in clinical trials for glioblastoma 2. Combination therapies involving mitotic inhibitors like paclitaxel ## Why it matters Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive form of brain cancer with limited treatment options. This patent represents a targeted approach to therapy, moving away from broad-spectrum chemotherapy toward drugs that activate the body's own cell-death pathways. It provides a legal framework for the development of TIC10 as a specialized pharmaceutical product. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Using the Drug TIC10 to Treat Brain Cancer cover? A patent for using a specific small molecule drug called TIC10 to treat brain cancers like glioblastoma by triggering a natural cell-death process. ### Who owns patent US RE46290? Penn State Research Foundation owns this patent, granted in 2017. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on January 31, 2037, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US RE46290 cited by? This patent has been cited by 3 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive form of brain cancer with limited treatment options. This patent represents a targeted approach to therapy, moving away from broad-spectrum chemotherapy toward drugs that activate the body's own cell-death pathways. It provides a legal framework for the development of TIC10 as a specialized pharmaceutical product. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover the use of TIC10 for treating diseases other than cancer. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE46290/tecfidera-dimethyl-fumarate **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/USRE46290 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Antibodies Can Force Cancer Cells to Self-Destruct](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7807153/avastin-chemotherapy) — Genentech's patent on specific antibodies that bind to the Apo-2 receptor to trigger programmed cell death in cancer cells. - [Using Plant-Derived Chemicals and Metabolic Drugs to Fight Cancer](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE46907/descovy-taf-ftc) — A medical patent describing a combination therapy that pairs specific plant-derived compounds with metabolic drugs to kill cancer cells more effectively than either could alone. - [How a Specific Protein Fragment Can Train Immune Cells to Fight Cancer](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10314897/peptides-and-combination-of-peptides-for-use-in-immunotherapy-against-various-ca) — This patent describes methods to fight various cancers by using a specific protein fragment (peptide LYHDIFSRL) to train a patient's immune cells to recognize and attack tumor cells. - [Targeting Cancer with CAR T Cells Using Small Molecule 'Flags'](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20250171803/methods-and-compositions-for-car-t-cell-therapy) — This patent describes a method to treat cancer by giving a patient special immune cells (CAR T cells) that are trained to find a specific 'flag' molecule, and then also giving them a drug molecule attached to that same 'flag' in varying amounts or forms. - [Targeting Cancer with CAR T Cells Using a Chemical Tag](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20240165159/compositions-and-methods-for-car-t-cell-therapy) — This patent describes a method to treat cancer by giving a patient special immune cells (CAR T cells) that recognize a chemical tag, which is attached to a small drug molecule, along with a separate folate compound.