NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Silence Therapeutics this week announced the publication of preclinical data showing that its acute lung injury drug Atu111 could reduce the severity of sepsis-related illness and improve survival in mice.
The finding appeared in Critical Care Medicine.
Atu111 comprises siRNAs against angiopoietin-2, a ligand of Tie-2 signaling and a vascular inflammatory molecule, that are formulated with an endothelium-targeting delivery technology known as DACC. Silence has been developing the drug for acute lung injury, and in 2012 reported on its ability to boost survival in mice infected with pneumonia.
In the latest study, Atu111 was administered intravenously into mice before and after sepsis induction.
Atu111 administration resulted in reduced pulmonary interleukin-6 transcription, intercellular adhesion molecule expression, neutrophil infiltration, and vascular leakage, according to the paper. Further, manifestations of sepsis were attenuated in distant organs, severity of illness was ameliorated, and animal survival was improved with Atu111 treatment both as a pre-treatment and a rescue intervention.