SBIR-STTR Award

Intracerebroventricular Alpha-N-Acetylglucosaminidase Delivery to the Brain
Award last edited on: 5/12/20

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NINDS
Total Award Amount
$225,254
Award Phase
1
Solicitation Topic Code
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Principal Investigator
Jillian R Brown

Company Information

TEGA Therapeutics Inc

3550 General Atomics Court Suite G02-102
San Diego, CA 92121
   (619) 838-8579
   tscott@tegatherapeutics.com
   www.tegatherapeutics.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 52
County: San Diego

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R43NS112021-01A1
Start Date: 8/1/19    Completed: 7/31/20
Phase I year
2019
Phase I Amount
$225,254
MPS IIIB is lysosomal storage disease; a disease in which a key enzyme, alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAGLU) is missing in cells, resulting in the toxic accumulation of complex sugars called glycosaminoglycans, principally in the central nervous system (CNS). A primary approach for treating related types of disorders involves replacement of the missing enzyme by injection into the circulation. Enzyme replacement therapy resolves many aspects of the disease but unfortunately it does not resolve complications of the disease in the CNS. This proposal focuses on the development of a novel way to perform enzyme replacement therapy and its application to MPS IIIB, a disease with severe neurodegenerative symptoms but no current therapies due to poor transport across the blood-brain barrier. We have tested our approach on a similar disease, MPSI; which is missing a different key enzyme called iduronidase (IDUA). Using iduronidase (IDUA) conjugated to guanidinoneomycin (GNeo), a molecular transporter, we showed that we can deliver the missing enzyme to cells derived from MPS I patients and that intranasal administration of small amounts of the conjugated enzyme were sufficient to reduce pathological glycosaminoglycans in the brain. The purpose of this grant is conjugate NAGLU with GNeo (GNeo-NAGLU) and assess the effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy delivered directly to the central nervous system in the MPS IIIB mouse model using intracerebroventricular administration. Dose-dependent biodistribution of GNeo-NAGLU and effects on biochemical and histological pathology, and behavior will be evaluated. Efficacy and safety will be assessed in single dose and 2-week dosing studies. The results will provide the preclinical information needed to proceed towards a novel treatment of the disease in humans.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PROJECT NARRATIVE The goal of this proposal is to test a novel method of enzyme delivery to the brain. Intravenous enzyme replacement therapy has proven successful for treating the somatic symptoms of lysosomal storage disorders, but delivery to the CNS is problematic because intravenously injected enzymes do not penetrate the blood brain barrier. This proposal describes a carrier system to ferry enzyme into the brain. The model under study is the mouse equivalent of MPS IIIB, a lysosomal storage disorder with severe neurological symptoms for which there is currently no available treatment.

NIH Spending Category:
Biotechnology; Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS); Neurosciences; Orphan Drug; Rare Diseases

Project Terms:
acute toxicity; alpha-n-acetylglucosaminidase; Animals; base; Behavior; behavioral study; Biochemical; Biodistribution; Biological Assay; Biological Markers; Blood - brain barrier anatomy; Blood Circulation; Bolus Infusion; Brain; Brain Pathology; brain volume; Bypass; Carbohydrates; Cell membrane; Cell surface; Cells; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Cessation of life; Chondroitin; Clinical; Cognitive; Complex; Cultured Cells; Dermatan Sulfate; Deterioration; Development; Disease; Dose; Drug Kinetics; Effectiveness; Endocytosis; enzyme activity; enzyme replacement therapy; Enzymes; Feasibility Studies; Fibroblasts; GAG Gene; Gene Structure; Glucosamine; Glycosaminoglycan Degradation Pathway; Glycosaminoglycans; Glycosides; Goals; Grant; Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan; Heparitin Sulfate; Hepatic; Histologic; Human; Hyaluronan; In Vitro; in vivo; Injections; Intranasal Administration; Intravenous; intravenous injection; L-Iduronidase; Legal patent; Life; Lysosomal Storage Diseases; Lysosomes; Measures; Methods; Modeling; molecular transporter; Molecular Weight; mouse model; Mucopolysaccharidoses; Mucopolysaccharidosis I; Mus; Mutation; N acetylglucosaminidase; N-terminal; Nature; Neomycin; Nerve Degeneration; Neuraxis; Neurologic; Neurologic Symptoms; Neurons; novel; off-patent; Pathologic; Pathology; Patients; Penetration; Pharmaceutical Preparations; pre-clinical; Preparation; prevent; Proteins; Rattus; Reaction; Recombinants; Route; Safety; Spinal Cord; Structural Genes; sugar; Symptoms; System; Testing; Time; Toxic effect; translation to humans; uptake

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
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Phase II Amount
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