Our lead catalytic antioxidant molecule significantly reduced damaged brain tissue when administered as late as 7.5 hours after obstruction of blood flow in animal models of stroke. An estimated 400,000 cancer patients in the U.S. each year develop mucositis caused by chemotherapy or radiation. Mucositis is characterized by painful oral ulcers which may limit or delay therapy. Incara s catalytic antioxidants have reduced the severity of mucositis and lung damage induced by radiation in animal models. We believe compounds from our catalytic antioxidant program will also have application in the developing adult stem cell transplant industry.
Antioxidants destroy free radicals, which damage cells within the human body.
In cell culture experiments, these catalytic antioxidant compounds have been shown to improve the ability of liver cells to survive freezing and thawing. They have also been shown to protect neurons in culture from oxygen deprivation and pancreatic islet cells in culture from various toxins. In animals, one of our compounds has been shown to protect pancreatic islet cells against autoimmune attack in a model of juvenile onset diabetes. In addition, we are exploring the possibility that these compounds may enhance the viability of transplanted pancreatic islet cells and we intend to explore their effect on transplanted liver progenitor cells. OP2000, an ultra-low molecular weight heparin.