Vasarya Therapeutics, Inc., was awarded an NIH STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) with Dr. Young Hahn to validate a novel therapeutic approach for liver fibrosis treatment. Liver fibrosis represents a significant financial burden on the U.S. health system, and to date, there are no FDA-approved drugs to combat this disease.
Abstract:
This proposal focuses on the evaluation of the efficacy of a fibronectin conformation specific antibody for CCL4 induced liver fibrosis treatment. This humanized antibody has been demonstrated to have a strong affinity for strained and diseased fibronectin, and showed successful suppressive effect in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis model. As the profibrotic pathway is similar in other organ systems, with fibronectin being one of the key ECM components involved in the process, we expect that this antibody will have a inhibitory effect on CCL4-induced liver damage and fibrosis. Earlier, a pilot animal study performed in Dr. Young Hahn’s lab using a smaller group of mice demonstrated a 40% suppressive effect of the antibody in CCL4 induced liver fibrosis based on the hydroxyproline level in the liver. A comparative histological analysis of the liver sections also supported the hydroxyproline assay results showing improved cellular integrity in antibody treated group. In the current proposal we want to extend the study to a larger group of animals with wider range and frequency of antibody administration. Secondly, we plan to use an invitro human assay to evaluate the efficacy of the antibody.