According to a story from globenewswire.com, the drug developer The Cell Factory and the University of Padova in Italy have been conducting research in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of CF-MEV-132, an experimental drug candidate in development by The Cell Factory. This investigational candidate is being tested as a therapy for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a lung disease that can affect prematurely born infants. The results that have been found using a rat model suggest that this drug could be an effective therapy.
About Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease who initially require supplemental oxygen eventually require oxygen supplement in the long term. Risk factors for the disease include low birth weight and infants that needed mechanical ventilation as a result of respiratory distress syndrome. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia can ultimately be fatal. Unfortunately, prolonged use of supplemental oxygen in premature infants causes necrotizing bronchiolitis (an inflammatory lesion of the lower airway) and other damage to the lungs. Symptoms include low blood oxygen levels, pulmonary heart disease, elevated CO2 levels in the blood, hyperinflation, cracking and wheezing, growth and developmental delays, and lower respiratory infections. Management strategies for bronchopulmonary dysplasia are limited; steroids may help prevent the condition in babies less than eight days old, but there are serious risks to this approach. More effective methods of controlling this disease are needed. To learn more about bronchopulmonary dysplasia, click here.
Animal Model Results
The researchers have developed a rat model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia that they have used to test CF-MEV-132. In the model, the affected rats were promptly treated with the experimental therapy and then their lung function and development was investigated after six weeks, which is roughly the time it takes for a rat to grow into an adult. In comparison to a control group, the rats had substantially healthier and more developed lungs. Adverse effects or toxicity were not observed in the animals. This suggests that CF-MEV-132 could have curative potential.
CF-MEV-132 has an anti-inflammatory effect and is derived from extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells. It also helps facilitate the regeneration of lung tissue and is intended to be used alongside current management approaches in order to prevent or reduce damage to the lungs.
