Overview

Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by trauma, disease, or chemotherapy. We have developed sustained-release formulations that treat human neuropathies by prompting remyelination of the damaged nerves. The formulations are delivered by injection at the site of nerve damage, using a polymeric gel.

Market Opportunity

Peripheral nerve damage can interfere greatly with a patient’s daily life; the body’s natural healing process is usually insufficient to completely restore function. The nerves can be damaged by trauma; by diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and diabetes; and by chemotherapy. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes, in particular, is increasing both in the US and worldwide, making the need for more effective treatment for peripheral neuropathy even more pressing.

Innovation and Meaningful Advantages

Schwann cells, which surround neurons, are the most important cells in the repair process after traumatic injury of the peripheral nervous system. They have the ability to dedifferentiate, re-enter the cell cycle, and convert into progenitor cells to promote regeneration. The process is controlled by two master transcription factors: EGR2, which controls the differentiation process, and C- JUN, which regulates the repair phenotype. 

We have developed sustained-release formulations that prompt remyelination of the damaged nerves. The formulations including a nucleic acid such as antisense RNA, which functions as a molecular scaffold to bring together chromatin-modifying enzymes and histone markers on the promoters of EGR2 and c-JUN, resulting in coordinate regulation of the two transcription factors. The formulations are delivered by injection at the site of nerve damage, using a polymeric gel. Viral-mediated delivery is used for nucleic acids; a preferred viral vector is a lentivirus. The nerves to be treated may be localized, for example, at the site of physical trauma or peripheral nerve damage.

Collaboration Opportunity

We are interested in exploring 1) startup opportunities with investors; 2) research collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies; and 3) licensing opportunities with companies.

Principal Investigator

Nikos Tapinos, MD, PhD

Sidney A. Fox and Dorothea Doctors Fox Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Visual Science, and Neuroscience

Brown University

https://vivo.brown.edu/display/ntapinos 

nikos_tapinos@brown.edu

IP Information

PCT/US2023/0666622 Published September 11, 2023

Publications

Martinez-Moreno M, O’Shea TM, Zepecki JP, Olaru A, Ness JK, Langer R, Tapinos N. Regulation of Peripheral Myelination through Transcriptional Buffering of Egr2 by an Antisense Long Non-Coding RNA. Cell Reports. 2017 Aug. 22;20(8):1950-1963.:doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2017.07.068

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