Pulmonary Hypertension remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in humans and is especially severe in neonates who have been perinatally exposed to hypoxia.
Solution
Inhaled Nitric Oxide is currently the standard of care for babies with pulmonary hypertension. Unfortunately, this therapy is expensive and does not significantly decrease the vascular remodeling or right ventricular heart failure evidenced chronically. AMD3100, an antagonist of CXCR4 (a marker found on inflammatory and stem cells), was found to reduce pulmonary artery pressure and vessel remodeling in a neonatal model of pulmonary hypertension. This therapy would be cheaper and could even be utilized as an outpatient option.
Competitive Advantage
The main therapy currently utilized in neonates with pulmonary hypertension is nitric oxide. Unfortunately, this therapy is expensive, and does not reverse the vascular remodeling. Based on preliminary data, stem cells, as well as inflammation, play a significant role in the vascular remodeling that is evidenced during neonatal pulmonary hypertension. AMD3100 provides an alternative which is cheaper than inhaled nitric oxide and would decrease the vascular remodeling by addressing the root cause. Since patients with long standing pulmonary hypertension die because of irreversible vascular remodeling and right heart failure, this therapy will be significantly useful in reducing morbidity and mortality.
Applications
Neonatal Pulmonary Hypertension of Various Etiologies includes perinatal asphyxia, chronic lung disease of prematurity and congenital heart disease.
Patent Status
U.S. utility patent application was filed on May 1, 2009.
Licensing Opportunity
The University of Miami is seeking collaborative research and licensing options.
About the Inventors
Dr. Karen Young is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine. Her main area of research is neonatal pulmonary hypertension. Currently she is evaluating the role of stem cells in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular remodeling. She has expertise in small and large animal models of pulmonary hypertension, and her current focus is identifying novel therapeutic strategies which will decrease pulmonary artery pressure, as well as vascular remodeling.
Dr. Joshua Hare was recruited from Johns Hopkins University, to become chief of cardiology and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami. Trained at Harvard and Johns Hopkins Hospital, he became a highly productive scientist in the field of heart failure and cardiomyopathies, contributing an enormous amount of work in basic science and clinical research. Over many years, Dr. Hare and his laboratory put a major focus on transcriptomic biomarker research, with the ultimate goal to improve diagnostic and prognostic accuracy in heart failure. In fact, his group published the first proof-of-concept study that transcriptomic biomarkers are feasible in cardiology and can be used to differentiate between the two major forms of cardiomyopathy, ischemic and non-ischemic.
Dr. Cleide Suguihara is Director of Neonatal Developmental Biology Lab in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Suguihara is internationally recognized by her work in the pathophysiology of Pulmonary hypertension. Currently, her laboratory is studying the role of angiogenic genes on the susceptibility to development pulmonary hypertension. Her laboratory is using different angiogenic growth factors to decrease the pulmonary vascular remodeling induced by chronic hypoxia and consequently, attenuate the pulmonary hypertension.
Selected References
Young Karen, Hare JM. Stem Cells in Cardiopulmonary Development: Implications for novel approaches to therapy for Pediatric Cardiopulmonary. Progress in Pediatric Cardiology 25 (2008) 37-49.
Young Karen, T. Delmoral, N. Claure, S. Vanbusbirk, E. Bancalari. The Association between Early Tracheal Colonisation and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Journal of Perinatology 2005 (25): 403-407.
Camelo Jr. JS, Hehre D, Devia C, Camelo SHH, Bancalari E, Suguihara C. Role of Angiotensin II receptor 1 blockade on pulmonary hypertension induced by acute hypoxia in newborn piglets. Neonatology 93: 263-268, 2008;
Epub:doi:10.1159/000111879.
Dabrowska K, Hehre D, Young K, Navarrete C, Ladino J, Bancalari E, Suguihara C. Effects of a nebulized NONOate, DPTA/NO, on GBS-induced pulmonary hypertension in newborn piglets. Pediatr Res 57:378-383, 2005.
