Last week, from October 22nd through the 25th, marked the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week. According to a press release, Synthetic Biotic medicine developer Synlogic, Inc. (“Synlogic”) presented during the week on their potential treatment for patients with enteric hyperoxaluria. You can find this poster (PO0650), as well as a full list of other presentations, here.
SYNB8802
Developed by Synlogic, SYNB8802 is a bacterial strain of E. coli engineered to treat patients with enteric hyperoxaluria. After being administered to patients, SYNB8802 would process oxalate throughout the gastrointestinal tract. According to Healthline, oxalate is produced naturally in your body but is also found in foods such as fruit, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, and cocoa. Normally, after metabolizing oxalate, we excrete it through our urine. However, patients with enteric hyperoxaluria absorb too much oxalate, which can cause damage. So, by processing oxalate, SYNB8802 would reduce oxalate levels in the urine. Synlogic hopes to begin clinical trials in the future.
Enteric Hyperoxaluria
Unlike primary hyperoxaluria, a rare kidney disorder that often results because of AGXT gene mutations, enteric hyperoxaluria often occurs from another condition such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or Crohn’s disease. These conditions cause an increased oxalate absorption, meaning excess oxalate accumulates in and around the kidneys. Next, patients experience extremely high levels of oxalate in the urine. As a result, many patients are at an increased risk of kidney damage or kidney stones. At this time, there are no approved therapies for this condition.
Symptoms include:
- Kidney stones
- Bloody urine
- Sudden or severe back and flank pain
- Painful urination
- More frequent need to urinate
- Anemia
- Pale skin (pallor)
- Appetite loss
- Nausea and vomiting
- Swollen hands and feet
- Kidney failure
Most patients will first experience a kidney stone, followed by other symptoms. However, it is important to visit your doctor as soon as symptoms arise. Without treatment, the kidneys can become increasingly damaged.
Learn more about enteric hyperoxaluria.
