Download Treatment of Preterm Labour

Treatment of Preterm Labour
A novel method for preventing Pre-term Labor by inhibiting the
pro-inflammatory immune response, mediated by fetal DNA
OVERVIEW
ADVANTAGES
•13 million preterm infants (before 37 weeks) are born annually1. In
developed countries preterm labour resulting in delivery represents
the vast majority of those infants that die within the 1st month of
life.
•Advantageously, this technology demonstrates that fetal DNA is proinflammatory, and furthermore mediators of this effect have been
identified.
•No discovery made in the last 20 years, has resulted in a decrease in
the premature birth rate.
•No treatment currently available has been shown to stop or reverse
the process
•Strikingly, in North America the preterm birth rate has increased
from 7% in the 1980s to an all time high of 12.9% in 2008.
•This is the first time that a link has been made between preterm
labour and specific immune regulators.
• A therapeutically effective amount of an novel agent which
antagonises Toll-like Receptor 9 biological activity could be
administered to a patient in need of treatment, typically a pregnant
mother, via any suitable route.
•This finding is wholly novel and has tremendous clinical utility.
PROBLEM
Most research has focused on identifying potential
processes that might contribute to preterm delivery.
clinically, Obstetricians only identify an infective process
patients, leaving the majority of mothers without a
treatment.
infective
However,
in 1/3 of
cause or
Maternal cell
TLR-9
Fetal DNA
DISCOVERY
INFLAMMATION
Infiltration of cells, cytokines,
danger signals, onset of
Preterm labour
PRETERM DELIVERY
• All pregnant mothers have a certain amount of free fetal DNA
that circulates in the maternal blood. The amount increases as
the mother approaches full term.
Substances that
inhibit TLR-9 (eg.
chloroquin)
• In women delivering preterm, the amount of free fetal DNA is
higher at an earlier stage of the pregnancy.
*****already given
to pregnant mothers for
other diseases*****
• We have made the novel discovery that this free fetal DNA
sparks off an immune reaction in human cells through a receptor
called Toll-like Receptor 9 (TLR-9).
• In our animal model there is a 69% still birth/inflammation from
injection of fetal DNA. This can be inhibited by the injection of
specific TLR-9 inhibitors.
TECHNOLOGY AND PATENT STATUS
A PCT patent application has been filed; PCT/EP2009/062395
Efficacy of technology has been demonstrated in vitro, whereby fetal
DNA added to the Namalwa B cell line or PMBCs has been shown to
rapidly activate a variety of pro-inflammatory molecules, IL-6 and TNF.
The Researchers have has further demonstrated that blocking TLR9
with Chloroquin in vivo murine model of Preterm Labour,
subsequently blocked the resorption of pregnancy.
In vivo results demonstrate that TLR9 knockout mice are resistant to
the effects of the fetal DNA, further indicating that TLR9 is a key driver
of pre-term birth
THE OPPORTUNITY
Trinity College Dublin are seeking to engage with a potential licensee
and/or collaborator who will have the opportunity to develop and
commercialise this exciting, very timely and novel technology which
has the potential to decrease maternal morbidity and perinatal
mortality.
Researchers:
Contact:
Ref:
Prof Luke O’Neil, Dr Andrea Scharfe Nugent, Dr John O’Leary, Dr Sean Daly
Dr. Emily Vereker, TTO Case Manager [email protected]
+ 353 1 896 4152
LO01-160-01