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Retrotope
Retrotope, Inc. is a drug development company advancing the idea that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) drugs fortified with heavy isotopes (reinforced lipids) protect living cells by making bonds within the delicate molecules inside and around cells harder to break. This makes the cells less prone to damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), one of the principal causes of ageing and age-associated diseases. Founded in 2006 by entrepreneurs and scientists with seed funding from private investors, Retrotope is developing a non-antioxidant approach to preventing lipid peroxidation, a detrimental factor in mitochondrial, neuronal, and retinal diseases. The company employs the virtual business model and works in scientific collaboration with more than 80 research groups in universities worldwide. Development Retrotope's drug platform, deuterated drug, deuterium-stabilized polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), prevents lipid peroxidation damage from propagating, rapidly stopping ...
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Di-deuterated Linoleic Acid Ethyl Ester
Deulinoleate ethyl (also known as di-deuterated ethyl linoleate, di-deuterated linoleic acid ethyl ester, 11,11-''d''-ethyl linoleate, or ethyl 11,11-''d''-linoleate) is an experimental, orally-bioavailable synthetic deuterated drug, deuterated polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), a part of reinforced lipids. It is an isotopologue of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid, essential omega-6 PUFA. The deuterated compound, while identical to natural linoleic acid except for the presence of deuterium, is resistant to lipid peroxidation which makes studies of its Lipid_peroxidation#Inhibiting_lipid_peroxidation, cell-protective properties worthwhile. Mechanism of action Deulinoleate ethyl is recognized by cells as identical to normal linoleic acid. But when taken up, it is converted into 13,13-''d''-arachidonic acid, a heavy isotope version of arachidonic acid, that gets incorporated into lipid membranes. The deuterated compound resists the non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation (LPO) th ...
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Reinforced Lipids
Reinforced lipids are lipid molecules in which some of the fatty acids contain deuterium. They can be used for the protection of living cells by slowing the chain reaction due to isotope effect on lipid peroxidation. The lipid bilayer of the cell and organelle membranes contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are key components of cell and organelle membranes. Any process that either increases oxidation of PUFAs or hinders their ability to be replaced can lead to serious disease. Correspondingly, use of reinforced lipids that stop the chain reaction of lipid peroxidation has preventive and therapeutic potential. Examples of reinforced lipids There are a number of polyunsaturated fatty acids that can be reinforced by deuteration. They include (the names of the reinforced deuterated versions are separated by a slash): * linoleic acid / D2-linoleic acid (D2-Lin) * α-linolenic acid / D4-α-linolenic acid (D4-Lnn) * arachidonic acid / D6-arachidonic acid (D6-ARA) * eicosapentaen ...
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RT001
Deulinoleate ethyl (also known as di-deuterated ethyl linoleate, di-deuterated linoleic acid ethyl ester, 11,11-''d''-ethyl linoleate, or ethyl 11,11-''d''-linoleate) is an experimental, orally-bioavailable synthetic deuterated polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), a part of reinforced lipids. It is an isotopologue of linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 PUFA. The deuterated compound, while identical to natural linoleic acid except for the presence of deuterium, is resistant to lipid peroxidation which makes studies of its cell-protective properties worthwhile. Mechanism of action Deulinoleate ethyl is recognized by cells as identical to normal linoleic acid. But when taken up, it is converted into 13,13-''d''-arachidonic acid, a heavy isotope version of arachidonic acid, that gets incorporated into lipid membranes. The deuterated compound resists the non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation (LPO) through isotope effect — a non-antioxidant based mechanism that protects mitochondria ...
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Orphan Drug
An orphan drug is a medication, pharmaceutical agent that is developed to treat certain rare medical conditions. An orphan drug would not be profitable to produce without government assistance, due to the small population of patients affected by the conditions. The conditions that orphan drugs are used to treat are referred to as orphan diseases. The assignment of orphan status to a disease and to drugs developed to treat it is a matter of public policy that depends on the legislation (if there is any) of the country. Designation of a drug as an orphan drug has yielded medical breakthroughs that might not otherwise have been achieved, due to the economics of drug medical research, research and development. Examples of this can be that in the U.S. and the EU, it is easier to gain marketing approval for an orphan drug. There may be other financial incentives, such as an extended period of exclusivity, during which the producer has sole rights to market the drug. All are intended to en ...
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Friedreich's Ataxia
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a rare, inherited, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects the nervous system, causing progressive damage to the spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and cerebellum, leading to impaired muscle coordination (''ataxia''). The condition typically manifests in childhood or adolescence, with initial symptoms including difficulty walking, loss of balance, and poor coordination. As the disease progresses, it can also impact speech, vision, and hearing. Many individuals with Friedreich's ataxia develop scoliosis, diabetes, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a serious heart condition that is a leading cause of mortality in patients. Friedreich's ataxia is caused by mutations in the ''FXN'' gene, which result in reduced production of frataxin, a protein essential for mitochondrial function, particularly in iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis. The deficiency of frataxin disrupts cellular energy production and leads to oxidative stress, co ...
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Deuterated Drug
A deuterated drug is a small molecule medicinal product in which one or more of the hydrogen atoms in the drug molecule have been replaced by its heavier stable isotope deuterium. Because of the kinetic isotope effect, deuterium-containing drugs may have significantly lower rates of metabolism, and hence a longer half-life. Mode of action Hydrogen is a chemical element with an atomic number of 1. It has one proton and one electron. Deuterium is the heavier naturally-occurring stable isotope of hydrogen. Deuterium was discovered by Harold Urey in 1931, for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1934. The deuterium isotope effect has become an important tool in the elucidation of the mechanism of chemical reactions. Deuterium contains one proton, one electron, and a neutron, effectively doubling the mass of the deuterium isotope without changing its properties significantly. However, the C–D bond is a bit shorter, and it has reduced electronic polarizability and less hyperconjugati ...
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Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress reflects an imbalance between the systemic manifestation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system's ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage. Disturbances in the normal redox state of cells can cause toxic effects through the production of peroxides and free radicals that damage all components of the cell, including proteins, lipids, and DNA. Oxidative stress from oxidative metabolism causes base damage, as well as strand breaks in DNA. Base damage is mostly indirect and caused by the reactive oxygen species generated, e.g., (superoxide radical), OH ( hydroxyl radical) and (hydrogen peroxide). Further, some reactive oxidative species act as cellular messengers in redox signaling. Thus, oxidative stress can cause disruptions in normal mechanisms of cellular signaling. In humans, oxidative stress is thought to be involved in the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cancer, Parkin ...
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and lower motor neurons that normally control Skeletal muscle, voluntary muscle contraction. ALS is the most common form of the motor neuron diseases. ALS often presents in its early stages with gradual muscle Spasticity, stiffness, Fasciculation, twitches, Muscle weakness, weakness, and Muscle atrophy, wasting. Motor neuron loss typically continues until the abilities to eat, speak, move, and, lastly, breathe are all lost. While only 15% of people with ALS also fully develop frontotemporal dementia, an estimated 50% face at least some minor difficulties with cognitive disorder, thinking and behavior. Depending on which of the aforementioned symptoms develops first, ALS is classified as ''limb-onset'' (b ...
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Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy
Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) is a rare pervasive developmental disorder that primarily affects the nervous system. Individuals with infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy typically do not have any symptoms at birth, but between the ages of about 6 and 18 months they begin to experience delays in acquiring new motor and intellectual skills, such as crawling or beginning to speak. Eventually, they lose previously acquired skills. Presentation Cause This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means two copies of the gene (''PLA2G6'') in each cell are altered. Most often, the parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive disorder each carry one copy of the altered gene but do not show signs and symptoms of the disorder. Pathophysiology Mutations in the '' PLA2G6'' gene have been identified in most individuals with infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy. The ''PLA2G6'' gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called an A2 phospholipase. This enz ...
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Neurodegeneration With Brain Iron Accumulation
Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation is a heterogenous group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases, still under research, in which iron accumulates in the basal ganglia, either resulting in progressive dystonia, parkinsonism, spasticity, optic atrophy, retinal degeneration, neuropsychiatric, or diverse neurologic abnormalities. Some of the NBIA disorders have also been associated with several genes in synapse and lipid metabolism related pathways. NBIA is not one disease but an entire group of disorders, characterized by an accumulation of brain iron, sometimes in the presence of axonal spheroids in the central nervous system. Iron accumulation can occur anywhere in the brain, with accumulation typically occurring in globus pallidus, substantia nigra, pars reticula, striatum and cerebellar dentate nuclei. Symptoms can include various movement disorders, neuropsychiatric issues, seizures, visual disturbances, and cognitive decline, usually in different combinations. ...
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PLA2G6
85 kDa calcium-independent phospholipase A2, also known as 85/88 kDa calcium-independent phospholipase A2, Group VI phospholipase A2, Intracellular membrane-associated calcium-independent phospholipase A2 beta, or Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 9 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''PLA2G6'' gene. Structure The ''PLA2G6'' gene is located on the p arm of chromosome 22 at position 13.1 and it spans 80,605 base pairs. The ''PLA2G6'' gene produces an 18.6 kDa protein composed of 166 amino acids. The resulting protein's structure has been shown to contain a lipase motif and 8 ankyrin repeats. Different from rodent PLA2G6, which is known to share 90% overall amino acid sequence identity with that of the humans, the human PLA2G6 protein contains a 54-residue insertion which codes for a proline-rich region. This insertion has been shown to disrupt the last putative ankyrin repeat, as well as function as a linker region that segregates the N-terminal p ...
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