It is widely known that millions of individuals are living with diseases associated with chronic inflammation. In a recent interview with BioSpace, Alan Watt, President of NodThera, said the goal of researchers is to begin treating Parkinson’s — the disease — rather than alleviating its symptoms.
Boosting dopamine and bringing relief to patients is good of course, but it is time to change direction. Dr. Watt emphasized that no disease modifying therapies currently exist in the Parkinson’s market. Neuroinflammation is currently of particular interest to several companies that have set a goal of halting the cycle contributing to Parkinson’s.
Alzheimer’s researchers have also shown an interest as the anti-inflammatory factor is now receiving serious recognition as a major component in the progression of these diseases.
About the Inflammatory Cycle
Most people consider inflammation to be a protective reaction to trauma or infection, but the researchers are interested from the standpoint of inflammation going wrong. If inflammation is chronic and low-grade, it may be injurious to the brain’s neurons, causing cell death. NodThera plans to block this action with therapy.
David Bearss, Halia Therapeutics CEO, added that chronic inflammation is involved with almost all chronic diseases. Halia and NodThera have begun to explore drugs that target inflammasome NLRP3 that they find contributes to various neurodegenerative diseases. The first to respond is usually NLRP3. It notifies other areas in the body that problems exist.
If a problem does not exist, and the cells had been recruited to locate a problem, they will go forward and create a problem.
Their response gets caught in a type of loop that continues to get stronger leading up to neurodegenerative conditions, explains Bearss. He added further that during the last ten years scientists have begun to understand that neurodegenerative conditions will occur if there is chronic inflammatory signaling in the brain.
NLRP3 – a Viable Potential
The NEK7/NLRP3 inhibitor is being investigated with the potential of breaking the cycle of inflammation. NEK7 is a protein associated with assembling the NLRP3 inflammasome, known to trigger inflammation. Phase 1 studies showed that the drug has the ability to prevent assembly of the inflammasome as well as to assist in disassembling the fully completed inflammasome complexes in Parkinson’s.
The teams believe that if the process is ended the disease progression would stop and the brain could begin repairing itself.
Earlier this year NodThera reported results of its Phase 2 NLRP3 inhibitor. The results showed inflammatory levels were well under those of day 1. The company is planning a second Phase 2 trial hoping to see an improvement in symptomatology.
Additional details and the full interview are are available over at BioSpace.
