A DNA / RNA molecule called the aptamer is able to recognize and bind to therapeutic targets for the treatment of the acute phase of ischemic stroke, according to a study led by the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) (Spain).
About to enter the phase of clinical trials, the results of this research have just been published in Molecular Therapy and is the result of work over a decade.
The origin of the technology that has led to the development of this aptamer is found in the academic field. From these investigations, the pharmaceutical company AptaTargets identified and characterized a pool of molecules against pharmacological targets in the therapeutic area of stroke and selected this aptamer as the best candidate.
It is, therefore, good news for a cerebrovascular disease, stroke, which causes 650,000 deaths a year in Europe, of which 40,000 occur in Spain, being the first cause of death in women and the third in men.
According to the co-director of the Neurovascular Research Unit Research Group of the UCM, this new drug will not only mean a new point of view for the treatment in the acute phase of stroke and the prevention of its serious complications such as hemorrhagic transformation, but also it could also be used in other diseases such as acute myocardial infarction or multiple sclerosis, in which the TLR4 receptor is involved.
Learn more about health in Pharmamedic.
