Leuvas Therapeutics, inc Epilepsy
LEUVAS THERAPEUTICS, Inc., a recently established biopharmaceutical company based in the California Bay Area and in Verona, Italy, is developing therapeutics that block leukocyte-vascular interactions (LVI) addressing clear unmet medical needs in large markets with potential for both first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics addressing:
- Refractory epilepsy
- Epileptogenesis (following seizure, TBI, stroke)
- Alzheimer’s disease
We are leveraging our recent discoveries that dysfunctional endothelium, inflammatory vascular changes, and leukocyte-vascular interactions (LVI) underlie disease pathogenesis in epilepsy, Alzheimer’s Disease and other common neurodegenerative diseases.
Contact us: info@leuvas.com
Key Discoveries and Publications:
Neutrophils play a role in neurodegenerative disease; short-term blockade of leukocyte-vascular interactions at early and mid-stage of disease prevents cognitive decline in multiple models of Alzheimer's disease
- Zenaro E, et al (2015) Neutrophils promote Alzheimer's disease-like pathology and cognitive decline via LFA-1 integrin. Nat Med.
- Highlighted in: ALZFORUM: Could Neutrophils Be the Newest Players in Neurodegenerative Disease?
- Reviewed in The Distillery, Biocentury, August 13, 2015
- Research highlight: Nature Reviews Neuroscience:A Neutrophil Invasion September 2015
PTPRG plays a previously unappreciated role in integrin activation and influences leukocyte migration; activation of PTPRG is a druggable target to modulate tyrosine phosphorylation.
- Mirenda et al, (2015) Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type γ is a JAK phosphatase and negatively regulates leukocyte integrin activation. J Immunol. 2015 Mar 1;194(5):2168-79.
- Highlighted in: JI In This Issue: Phosphatase Phools with Monocyte Migration
TIM-1 is a major P-selectin ligand controlling T cell adhesion in inflamed vessels; TIM-1-mediated adhesion controls autoimmune and inflammatory disease development
- Angiari S and Constantin G. Regulation of T cell trafficking by the T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 1 glycoprotein. Trends Mol Med. 2014 Dec;20(12):675-84.
- Angiari S, et al. TIM-1 glycoprotein binds the adhesion receptor P-selectin and mediates T cell trafficking during inflammation and autoimmunity. Immunity. 2014 Apr 17;40(4):542-53.
Therapeutic blockade of leukocyte-vascular interactions blocks seizures and prevents epileptogenesis
- Fabene et al, (2008)A role for leukocyte-endothelial adhesion mechnisms in epilepsy. Nat Med. 2008 Dec;14(12):1377-83.
- Comments: Kleen and Holmes (2008) Brain inflammation initiates seizures, Nature Medicine News and Views
- Comments: Vezzani and Janigro (2009) Leukocyte-endothelial adhesion mechanisms in epilepsy: cheers and jeers, Epilepsy Curr.
- Comments: Sills and Solomon (2009) Breaching the barrier and inflaming epilepsy research, Epilepsy Curr.
- Sotgiu et al (2010) Treatment of refractory epilepsy with natalizumab in a patient with multiple sclerosis. Case Report. BMC Neurol 23;10:834