BRISBANE, Calif., March 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nitrase Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company deploying its NITROME platform to build a pipeline of therapies targeting nitrases, a new class of enzymes discovered in-house that are involved in a broad variety of diseases, today announced that an oral on-demand virtual presentation in conjunction with a poster was presented at the AD/PD International Conference on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and related neurological disorders taking place March 28 – April 1, 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The presentation titled, “Alpha Synuclein Nitration and Aggregation in Neurons is Controlled by the Novel Enzyme Synuclein Nitrase” (abstract #412; poster board #OD181) reviewed preclinical in vitro and in vivo data on the critical role of a Nitrase-discovered enzyme, Synuclein Nitrase, on alpha synuclein (αSyn) nitration, synuclein aggregation, and motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease.
“The aggregation of alpha synuclein has been identified as a key driver of the pathology of Parkinson’s disease,” said Irene Griswold-Prenner, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Nitrase Therapeutics. “We have discovered a novel enzyme called Synuclein Nitrase, and these data suggest that alpha synuclein nitration and aggregation in neurons is controlled by this novel enzyme. Strikingly, knocking out Synuclein Nitrase resulted in reduced paralysis in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease. We are working to develop a small molecule therapeutic targeting Synuclein Nitrase that has potential to slow progression of Parkinson’s disease.”
For the in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies; methamphetamine, preformed fibrils (PFF) spread and Synuclein transgenic models were used, whereby Synuclein Nitrase activity was reduced using either a small molecule pan-Nitrase inhibitor (NB001) or Synuclein Nitrase knockout to investigate the role Synuclein Nitrase plays in αSyn nitration, αSyn aggregation, and paralysis. The results demonstrated that Synuclein Nitrase knockout prevents synuclein nitration in vitro and in vivo, and there was a decrease in nitration of αSyn in wild type mice who received NB001. Additionally, removal of Synuclein Nitrase reduced the formation of phospho-αSyn aggregates in both in vitro and in vivo models. Importantly, the Synuclein Nitrase knockout mice showed reduced in paralysis in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Synuclein Nitrase impacts three key hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease -- αSyn nitration, αSyn aggregation, and motor dysfunction.
More information is available through AD/PD’s interactive program at: https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/adpd23/attendee
About Nitrase Therapeutics, Inc.
Nitrase Therapeutics is a pioneering biopharmaceutical company deploying its unique NITROME platform to unlock the therapeutic potential of nitrases, a new class of enzymes that it discovered, to develop a pipeline of therapies against a broad range of diseases. The medicines that Nitrase Therapeutics is developing will target these enzymes and potentially help slow or halt the progression of numerous diseases in which nitrases and nitro-substrates play a role, including Parkinson’s, cancer, immunological and fibrotic diseases. Nitrase Therapeutics (under the former name Nitrome Biosciences) has been widely recognized and has won multiple awards including the prestigious Target Advancement grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF). Nitrase Therapeutics is located in Brisbane, CA, and its investors include Sofinnova Partners, AbbVie Ventures, Dementia Discovery Fund, Bristol Myers Squibb, Mission Bay Capital and Alexandria Venture Investments. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.nitrasetx.com.
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