BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Therapeutics: Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF; ARP; ARMET)

July 21, 2016 7:00 AM UTC

Mouse and fruit fly studies suggest MANF enhances the effectiveness of cell-based therapies for UV-damaged retinal tissue. In innate immune cells from Drosophila and mice, levels of MANF were higher after UV light-induced retinal degeneration than before light exposure. In UV light-exposed Drosophila, MANF overexpression in innate immune cells decreased retinal tissue damage compared with normal MANF expression. In a mouse model of UV light-induced retinal damage, intravitreal injection of human MANF decreased photoreceptor apoptosis compared with vehicle. In the mouse model of UV light-induced retinal damage receiving subretinal photoreceptor transplants, MANF increased integration of the transplants. Next steps could include determining the effects of MANF on brain damage and other damaged tissues.

Amarantus BioScience Holdings Inc. has MANF in preclinical testing for retinal artery occlusion, retinitis pigmentosa, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), diabetes and myocardial infarction (MI)...