Mar 17 2009
Aphios Corporation today announced securing an exclusive license from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, LA for intellectual property and know-how for treating chronic inflammatory diseases and organ rejection caused by transplantation mediated organ stress.
Scientists at Louisiana State University have discovered that bryostatin-1, a potent PKC modulator at nanomolar concentrations, activates protein kinase C-d (PKC-d) causing a near complete blockade of leukocyte (white blood cell) infiltration. This activation and therapeutic response can be achieved by injecting bryostatin 1 directly into chronically inflamed tissues, treating the skin with bryostatin-1, or perfusing organs with bryostatin-1 prior to transplantation and cold storage. This invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions, particularly pharmaceutical compositions comprising a bryostatin-1, other bryostatins and substituted derivatives of bryostatins for use in treating inflammation, and for use in combating arteriosclerosis, diseases of the cardiovascular system and the central nervous system, prior to and following organ transplantation, and ischemia [United States Patent Pending].
Dr. J. Steve Alexander, lead scientist from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport for this invention states that “Neutrophil or activated leukocyte mediated tissue injury is an extremely important aspect of both acute and chronic inflammatory disease processes. Methods to reduce neutrophil infiltration could provide important therapies in numerous diseases including stroke, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and atherosclerosis. Thus the market opportunity for this product/technology is both diverse and enormous.”
Aphios Corporation is developing improved nanotechnology formulations of bryostatin 1 [US and International Patents], which is more water-soluble than the potent anticancer drug paclitaxel with its known formulation and manufacturing difficulties. These nanotech formulations are being designed to improve the therapeutic index of bryostatin 1. Aphios also manufactures bryostatin 1 utilizing highly efficient isolation and purification methods [US and International Patents] and distributes bryostatin 1 through Sigma-Aldrich, BioMol and a number of other vendors. Aphios plans to utilize these nanoformulations in the development of this drug for chronic inflammation, organ preservation and transplantation rejection.
Aphios Corporation is a biotechnology company that is developing enabling technology platforms and enhanced therapeutic products for health maintenance, disease prevention and the treatment of certain cancers, infectious diseases and CNS disorders.
Research leading to this invention was in part funded by the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA (Grant No. NIH DK-43785). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health.