Unmet Need / Invention Novelty: Hemodynamic stress during heart disease results in adverse remodeling and loss of function of the myocardial tissue. One mechanism that underlies this pathology is activation of the p75 neurotrophin receptors (p75NTR) in the heart. There is an unmet need for a therapeutic which blocks the p75 neurotrophin receptor in cardiac tissue for the treatment of acute and chronic cardiac disease.
Technical Details: Johns Hopkins researchers developed a p75 neurotrophin receptor antagonist for the treatment of acute and chronic cardiac disease, especially the post-ischemic one. Researchers demonstrated their novel pharmaceutical compound blocked the adverse effects of p75NTR agonist (pro BDNF) in-vitro, and potentially other mechanisms of p75NTR activation, such as oxidative stress. Accordingly, treatment with the p75NTR antagonist reduced oxidative stress and cell death, and improved contractility, relaxation, and calcium whole transient in cardiac myocytes relative to agonist-treated controls. Data collected in-vivo using a mouse model of heart failure showed that the p75NTR antagonist-treated mice in comparison to vehicle controls had decreased adverse cardiac remodeling, improved left ventricular function, and slowed heart failure progression. The administration of the p75NTR antagonist could be especially valuable to counter chronic post-myocardial infarction cardiac decompensation that remains a significant unmet clinical milestone.
Value Proposition:
· Novel p75NTR antagonist to treat acute and chronic cardiac disease, in particular the ischemic one
· Selective peptide therapeutic
· Improve contractility in cardiac tissue in-vivo acutely and/or chronically after ischemia or other significant cardiac accidents
· Possibly suitable for use in combination with other cardiotropic agents
· Applicable in the treatment of congestive heart failure of ischemic and non-ischemic etiology
Looking for Partners to: Develop & commercialize the technology as p75NTR antagonist for the treatment of acute and chronic cardiac disease
Stage of Development: Pre-Clinical
Data Availability: In-vivo and In-vitro
