A novel synthetic protein developed by investigators from the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy, in partnership with AntlerA Therapeutics Inc., aims to treat macular degeneration and other incurable retinal diseases.
Give me a rundown on this company.
Based in both San Francisco, California, and Toronto, Canada, AntlerA Therapeutics is a regenerative medicine company focused on developing novel protein therapeutics that modulate developmental signaling pathways to activate tissue stem cells and promote tissue repair.
Talk more about AntlerA’s science.
The company’s proprietary protein-engineering platform has developed potent antibody-like molecules (ANTs) that work to activate specific surface receptors called “frizzed receptors” (FZD).
The goal: to control tissue stem cells and promote tissue repair and rejuvenation.
See here for a visual.
And the researchers involved in this drug development?
Included in the team is Sachdev Sidhu, MD, the entrepreneur-in-residence researcher at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy and co-founder/CEO of AntlerA Therapeutics, as well as Jarrett J Adams, PhD, and Lezi Blazer, PhD (engineering and science research associates at Waterloo).
The team also collaborated with EyeBio, who has a strategic partnership with AntlerA.
Now this drug.
The antibody is designed to activate the Wnt-signaling network, which is a group of proteins that pass information into a cell via FZD.
Why the Wnt-signaling network?
These pathways are key to stem cell proliferation and regeneration.
Gotcha. Go on …
Once the Wnt pathways are activated, the drug is intended to improve blood vessel integrity within the eye and, as a result, block fluid buildup in the retina—potentially improving vision for patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or diabetic macular edema (DME).
What’s so special about this drug?
While Wnt proteins are typically difficult and expensive to make, the AntlerA-developed drug molecule (a mimic of Wnt) is part of a new generation of precision-engineered antibody-like drugs that can repair organ damage caused by degenerative disease.
So this can be used for degenerative diseases only?
For now! The researchers are also reportedly in the process of “developing drugs that target other branches of the Wnt/FZD system,” which could potentially treat other common diseases affecting the lungs, liver, bones, and intestines.
Any input from the researchers?
According to Sidhu, the researchers are the first to develop a drug that activates the Wnt pathway and, as a result, leads to treatment for such degenerative diseases.