A collaborative team led by Prof. Erica Sparkenbaugh from the Univ. of North Carolina Blood Research Center reported at the 64th American Society of Hematology annual meeting that the parmodulins ML161 (aka PM2) and NRD-21 have anti-inflammatory and protective effects in mouse models of sickle cell disease. Relative to controls, these compounds decreased several important biomarkers of inflammation (TAT, IL-6, sVCAM, and HMGB-1). Unlike the PAR1 antagonist vorapaxar, parmodulins also rescued most mice from a model of acute chest syndrome.
Function Therapeutics is pleased to collaborate with the Sparkenbaugh lab to study treatments for sickle cell and other thrombotic diseases.