University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a novel monoclonal antibody for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Description
A monoclonal neutralizing antibody has been developed to target the homodimeric form of a known inflammatory adipokine, Lipocalin-2 (LCN-2). LCN-2 has been shown to aggravate retinal inflammation and induce degeneration of cells in the retina.
Applications
1. Dry AMD, a growing problem, and a major cause of vision loss among the elderly with a public health cost of approximately $30 billion each year
2. Stargardt disease
3. Diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus
4. Central nervous system disorders in which increased levels of LCN-2 have been implicated
Advantages
Currently, there is no known preventative or therapeutic treatment available for dry AMD. This provides an early approach to inhibit retinal degeneration through blocking activation of the homodimeric form of LCN-2 and inhibit the transition from the para- to chronic inflammation known to occur in dry AMD.
Invention Readiness
Research has shown that LCN-2 is highly upregulated in retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells in samples from human AMD donors and animal models. Previous studies showed LCN-2 can trigger retinal degeneration implying the importance of this protein in sight loss. Data suggest that lysosomal function is required for LCN-2 mediated iron homeostasis in RPE cells further highlighting that LCN-2 inhibition is an important therapeutic target.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2023108102A1
