RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A recently published manuscript containing research sponsored, in part, by Merakris Therapeutics has opened the door to more precision-based biological treatments for wound healing.
The study was conducted at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. The authors compared the effects of cell-free amniotic fluid (AF) and a synthetic amniotic fluid-like substance – co-cultured amniotic cell conditioned media (coACCM) – in stimulating myofibroblast activation (MFA) and epithelial-mesenchymal transmission (EMT). Both MFA and EMT are crucial cellular processes early in the wound healing process. But if MFA and EMT persist, they can slow down healing.
The data was published in the September issue of the international peer-reviewed journal Biomedicines. The study found that AF and coACCM, rather than mimicking each other, had different effects on MFA. coACCM triggered EMT and stimulated gene expression patterns associated with MFA. AF, on the other hand, seemed to reduce TGF-beta induced MFA and inhibited EMT.
The findings also indicated that fractionating – or splitting cell-free AF into different components – produced distinct responses to EMT and MFA.
The results showed that cell-free AF, coACCM and fractionated AF are each unique biologics that can trigger diverse cellular outcomes useful in treating a variety of medical conditions. So they can potentially have broad applications in both clinical and lab settings.
“The implication is that you can use these different biologics to precisely dial up or dial down MFA and EMT depending on the needs of the patient,” said W. Sam Fagg, MSc, Ph.D., lead scientist at Merakris. “That could give us new tools we can deploy to promote precision responses to wound healing – and potentially other regenerative medicine applications.”
Precision medicine is a rapidly emerging science that uses data from the human genome, the proteome (the complete set of proteins made by an organism), and the microscopic study of animal and plant cell tissues to find better and more personalized ways to identify and treat diseases. The market for these products exceeded $52 billion in 2020 and is expected to more than double, to about $113 billion, over the next five years.
“The findings of this study are an exciting development that supports our continued efforts to research and develop personalized approaches to wound healing,” said Merakris CEO Chris Broderick. “Our next step will be to generate additional data through animal models.”
About Merakris
Merakris Therapeutics – founded in 2016 and headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC – pioneers the use of commercially scalable stem cell-derived biotherapeutic technologies to promote the healing of damaged tissue. Its mission is to improve global patient care and outcomes through regenerative biotechnologies. The company’s products include:
- Dermacyte® Amniotic Wound Care Liquid, a cell-free amniotic injection that is being developed under Merakris’ Investigational New Drug (IND) approval for wound healing.
- Dermacyte® Matrix, a human amniotic membrane tissue graph that provides a protective covering for skin wounds and surgical sites.
- Opticyte® Matrix, an ophthalmic barrier to the corneal surface of the eye and can be used with various ocular procedures.
Merakris also is investigating other novel biotechnology solutions that promote wound healing and tissue regeneration.
Merakris Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates regarding the marketing and other potential of Merakris’ products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such product. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Although Merakris’ management believes that any forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Merakris, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, or government regulation generally, that could affect the availability or commercial potential of the product, the fact that product may not be commercially successful, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including future clinical data and analysis of existing clinical data relating to the product, including post marketing, unexpected safety, quality or manufacturing issues, competition in general, risks associated with intellectual property and any related future litigation and the ultimate outcome of such litigation, and volatile economic and market conditions may have on us, our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other business partners, and the financial condition of any one of them, as well as on our employees and advisors and on the global economy as a whole.
