Aphios Granted US Patent for Oral Administration of Bryostatin-1 Nanoparticles for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and other spongiform encephalopathies remain major health problems. Currently there are very limited means to treat these diseases. With respect to Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, these diseases tend to manifest themselves in older individuals and as the diseases progress; the afflicted individuals are less able to care for themselves. Dr. Trevor P. Castor, co-inventor of the patent states that, “It is therefore highly desirable to have simple therapies which can be administered (e.g. oral formulations) without the need for specially trained healthcare providers.”

Dr. Castor continues, “Our Mechanism-of-Action studies have shown that our lead Alzheimer’s disease drug candidate, APH-1104, a potent analog of Bryostatin-1, is neuroprotective by α-secretase activation via novel PKC isoforms, down-regulation of pro-inflammatory and angiogenic processes and the substitution of β-amyloid for its soluble and harmless relative, sAPP-α at concentrations which are orders of magnitude lower than conventional APP modulators. Our in vivo studies show that we can rapidly restore cognitive performance in AD-transgenic mice by oral administration of Bryostatin-1 encapsulated in biodegradable polymer nanospheres. These nanoparticles protect Bryostatin-1 in its transit to the stomach, are resistant to stomach acids, and increase residence time and efficacy once transported to the circulation system in the duodenum.”

Dr. Jonathan Steven Alexander, a professor in LSU Health Shreveport’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and a co-inventor of the patent states, “We are another step closer to helping find a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. In our hands, we discovered that Bryostatin-1 improves inter-trial latency in a transgenic mouse model of Down syndrome. Bryostatin-1 showed a significant improvement in inter-trial water maze performance, with a p<0.001 compared to vehicle treated transgenic Down mice. This shows a significant difference in task acquisition in the Down syndrome model which shares many characteristics with Alzheimer’s disease. Importantly, these data show for the first time a dose dependent improvement in task performance.”

About LSU Health Shreveport: LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions. The primary mission of the LSU’s Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of LSUHSC-S is a strong faculty that includes over 600 nationally and internationally-acclaimed physicians and scientists. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu.

About Aphios Corporation: Aphios Corporation (www.aphios.com) is an emerging growth biotechnology company developing green enabling technology platforms for improving drug discovery and manufacturing, nanotechnology drug delivery and pathogenic drug safety. Based on these enabling technology platforms, we are developing enhanced therapeutics for health maintenance and disease prevention, and the treatment of cancers such as prostate and pancreatic cancer, supportive care such as CINV, infectious diseases such as HIV, and nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Pain and Opioid Addiction.

Research leading to this discovery was in part funded by a SBIR Grant No. No. 5R44AG034760-03 from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content of this press release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIA and NIH.

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