New insights into the structure and mechanism of these proteins may be essential for development of novel disease treatments
WALTHAM, Mass. & MONTREAL, January 6, 2022 – Ventus Therapeutics U.S., Inc., a biopharmaceutical company utilizing structural biology and computational tools to identify and develop small molecule therapeutics across a broad range of disease indications, today announced a publication in the peer-reviewed journal Journal of Experimental Medicine entitled “Advances toward structure-based drug discovery for inflammasome targets.” (Wang et al., J Exp Med. 2022 Jan 3;219(1):e20211147)
The article summarizes the historic difficulties of targeting inflammasome proteins for the treatment of several diseases of high unmet need, and how advances in structural biology could overcome these challenges. The authors describe the generation of increasingly high-resolution crystal structures, including a 2.6 angstrom-resolution structure of monomeric NLRP3, an inflammasome protein that is the focus of many development efforts in academia and industry.
“We believe recent advances in our understanding of the structure and mechanisms of key inflammasome proteins such as NLRP3 offer tremendous insight into inflammasome signaling, paving the way for structure-based drug design,” said Li Wang, PhD, lead author on this article and Principal Scientist at Ventus.
“Having a more precise view of inflammasome proteins may further unlock the possibilities of developing novel therapeutics for a range of conditions including autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and neurological disorders,” said Michael Crackower, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Ventus.
About NLRP3
NLRP3 (NLR pyrin domain-containing 3) is a member of a family of proteins known as inflammasome receptors and is integral in the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that regulate the innate immune system and are involved in intracellular surveillance of danger signals that trigger an intense inflammatory response, via generation of IL-1β, IL-18 and lytic cell death termed as pyroptosis. Therapeutic inhibition of NLRP3 can, therefore, prevent the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which in turn inhibits the production of IL-1β and IL-18. Aberrant activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome has been associated with systemic conditions including fibrotic, dermatological and rheumatological diseases and figures prominently in several neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
About Ventus Therapeutics
Ventus Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company utilizing structural biology and computational tools to identify and develop small molecule therapeutics across a broad range of disease indications, with an initial focus on immunology, inflammation and neurology. We have developed a proprietary drug discovery platform, called ReSOLVE, which is built upon our structural biology and protein science expertise and our proprietary computational chemistry capabilities, to address the current limitations of small molecule drug discovery. We are leveraging our ReSOLVE platform to discover and characterize previously unknown or poorly understood pockets on the surface of proteins and identify small molecules that can bind to those pockets with optimal affinity. We are focused on high-value targets that have been extensively implicated in human diseases that were previously considered undruggable or where we believe there is a significant opportunity to improve upon existing therapies. Our lead programs target key innate immune modulators, including NLRP3 and cGAS. For more information, please visit www.ventustx.com and engage with us on Twitter @Ventus_Tx or on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects, including, but not limited to, statements related to our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy, prospects, our current programs, planned and ongoing preclinical studies and clinical trials, research and development costs, regulatory approvals, timing and likelihood of success, as well as plans and objectives of management for future operations. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, the initiation, timing, progress and results of preclinical studies and clinical trials of our future product candidates; the results of our earlier studies not being predictive of future results; our ability to maintain and enhance the ReSOLVE platform and use it to effectively identify previously unknown pockets on the surface of proteins and small molecules that have optimal binding affinity for those pockets; our ability to obtain funding for our operations and implement our business strategy; our ability to meet regulatory standards, including any anticipated regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries in which we may seek regulatory approval for our future product candidates; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and efforts to address the impact on our business; anticipated developments related to our competitors and our industry; the performance of third-party service providers, including suppliers and manufacturers; and our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce intellectual property protection for our future product candidates and the ReSOLVE platform. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
