anti-inflammatory treatment - Isis Project No 3050

Isis Innovation, the technology transfer arm of the University of Oxford, presents a new drug candidate for treatment of inflammatory disorders.

MARKETING OPPORTUNITY

Inflammation is the response of vascularised tissue to injury and infection. Tissue damage leads to the production of a series of inflammatory mediators that recruit neutrophils and monocyte/macrophages into the site of injury.

Despite the beneficial role of inflammation in host defence, excessive inflammatory responses and prolonged macrophage activation can lead to acute inflammatory disorders such as endotoxic shock, or chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis, uveitis and atherosclerosis.

As well as a potential treatment for acute and chronic inflammatory disorders, the Oxford invention could also accelerate the resolution of inflammation - important for treatment of diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease.

THE OXFORD INVENTION

Researchers at Oxford have discovered a series of novel anti-inflammatory peptides that act on activated macrophages via the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), ChemR23, substantially reducing production of inflammatory cytokines (TNFa, MCP-1, IL-6 and IL-1b). Peptide agonists of the ChemR23 receptor represent a novel strategy for therapeutic intervention in inflammatory disease that is derived from an endogenous anti-inflammatory mechanism.

These novel peptides exhibit potent anti-inflammatory activity (0.32ng/kg) in well-established pre-clinical models of inflammation. Furthermore, the same peptides dramatically enhance clearance of pathogen and cellular debris, potentially speeding up the resolution of inflammation.

PATENT STATUS

This work is the subject of a patent application, and Isis would like to talk to companies interested in developing the commercial opportunity that this represents. Please contact the Isis Project Manager to discuss this further.

KEYWORDS

GPCR, G protein-coupled receptor, anti-inflammatory, peptide, ChemR23, chemerin, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, endotoxic shock.

Request Further Information: Project Number 3050 Anti-Inflammatory Treatment