Neuroprotectant Mechanism of Action of Stroke Exosome AB126: Stephen From
The chief executive officer of Aruna Bio discussed the mechanism of action behind AB126 and how its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties may be effective in treating acute ischemic stroke. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]
WATCH TIME: 4 minutes
"Because our route of administration is systemic, we do an IV push right now for the acute conditions. We see first and foremost facilitation across the blood-brain barrier. Because of their anti-inflammatory characteristics, we also have some proteins on the exterior surface that allow for migration to the area of injury, whether that be an acute injury or even chronic."
Ischemic stroke is a life-threatening cerebral vascular disease that currently has no efficient therapeutic strategies available for promoting neurological recovery. The majority of neuroprotective drugs have shown positive impact in pre-clinical studies but failed in clinical trials. Cell therapies have begun to emerge, with an increasing number of studies suggesting that the therapeutic effect of these agents are mainly mediated by exosomes released from the administered cells.
Recently, the FDA cleared Aruna Bio’s investigational new drug (IND) application of its lead program, AB126, to be tested in a phase 1b/2a study of patients with acute ischemic stroke. AB126 is an unmodified neural-derived exosome with an innate ability to traverse the blood brain barrier and has shown evidence of anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. The phase 1b/2a trial, a dose-ascending study, will assess the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of the agent in patients with a poor prognosis following thrombectomy.
To learn more about the origins of AB126 and the promising aspects behind it, NeurologyLive® sat down with Stephen From, chief executive officer of Aruna Bio. From provided context on the idea behind exosomes, their involvement with extracellular vesicles, and the complexities with recovering neurodegeneration in poststroke patients. In addition, he provided context on the differences between AB126 and other agents in the pipeline, along with how experience from the founder of the company, Steven Stice, PhD, MS, helped Aruna get to where it is today.
