Drug Repurposing Screen Identifies Lead Compounds for Anti-Zika Virus Drug Development
Spotlight Innovation Inc. (OTCQB: STLT) announced today that Prof. Hengli Tang has co-authored a study1, published in Nature Medicine on August 29, 2016, reporting two classes of compounds: one that protects Zika virus-infected neural cells from programmed cell death ("apoptosis") and another that directly inhibits Zika virus replication. According to the study, when used in combination, compounds from the two classes enhanced the neuroprotective effect.
Since the resurgence of Zika
over a year ago, efforts to combat the virus have focused largely on
preventing infection through vaccine development, mosquito control
measures and public health education. The availability of anti-Zika
therapeutics could provide physicians with tools to treat patients who
have already been infected. Funding provided by Spotlight Innovation
under a Sponsored Research Agreement with Florida State University
will enable Prof. Tang and his collaborators to expand on their
discoveries and to accelerate the development of safe and effective
drugs to treat patients infected with Zika.
Geoffrey Laff,
Ph.D., Spotlight Innovation's Senior Vice President of Business
Development, commented, "Prof. Tang's important work reinforces our
long-standing conviction that he and his collaborators will
significantly advance the field of anti-Zika virus drug development."
In a recent publication2,
Prof. Tang and his collaborators demonstrated that Zika virus can
infect and replicate within human embryonic cortical neural progenitor
cells. Zika infection in pregnant women can cause neurological birth
defects, including microcephaly, a condition in which a child is born
with an abnormally small head as a result of incomplete brain
development.
About Spotlight Innovation Inc.
Spotlight Innovation Inc.
(OTCQB: STLT) identifies and acquires rights to innovative, proprietary
technologies designed to address unmet medical needs, with an emphasis
on rare, emerging and neglected diseases. To find and evaluate unique
opportunities, we leverage our extensive relationships with leading
scientists, academic institutions and other sources. We provide
value-added development capability to accelerate development progress.
When scientifically significant benchmarks have been achieved, we will
endeavor to partner with proven market leaders via sale, out-license or
strategic alliance. For more information, visit www.spotlightinnovation.com or follow us on www.twitter.com/spotlightinno.
1 Miao X, Lee EM,
Wen Z, Cheng Y, Huang W-K, Qian X, TCW J, Kouznetsova J, Ogden SC,
Hammack C, Nguyen HN, Itkin M, Hanna C, Shinn P, Allen C, Michael SG,
Simeonov A, Huang W, Christian KM, Goate A, Brennand K, Huang R,
Menghang X, Ming G-L, Zheng W, Song H, Tang H. Identification of Small
Molecule Inhibitors of Zika Virus Infection and Induced Neural Cell
Death Via a Drug Repurposing Screen. Nature Med. 2016 Aug 29.
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.4184.html
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.4184.html
2 Tang H, Hammack
C, Ogden SC, Wen Z, Qian X, Li Y, Yao B, Shin J, Zhang F, Lee EM,
Christian KM, Didier RA, Jin P, Song H, Ming GL. Zika Virus Infects
Human Cortical Neural Progenitors and Attenuates Their Growth. Cell Stem
Cell. 2016 Mar 3. pii: S1934-5909(16)00106-5. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2016.02.016. [Epub ahead of print]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26952870
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26952870
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