How a new drug prototype regenerates lung tissue
LA JOLLA, Calif., April 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pulmonary diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. For many progressive lung diseases like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a key issue is a low supply of new stem cells to repair and reverse damage. These cells are responsible for regenerating and increasing the growth of healthy tissue—without them, lung function decreases and a range of severe illnesses can take hold.
- "We chose the lung because the stem cell population of the lower airway doesn't regenerate as effectively as one ages."
- However, there currently are no available treatment options that regenerate damaged lung tissue.
- To see whether existing drug mechanisms could increase growth of lung stem cells, the team turned to ReFRAME , a drug repurposing library built by Calibr-Skaggs.
- While NZ-97 is a prototype drug, it's chemically similar to CMR316, Calibr-Skagg's drug that will be entering a phase 1 clinical trial in a few months.