ZyVersa Therapeutics Announces Publication Demonstrating that Inflammasome ASC Inhibitor IC 100 Restored Retinal Structure and Function in a Retinopathy of Prematurity Animal Model

ZyVersa Therapeutics
ZyVersa Therapeutics

In This Article:

  • Publication showed that IC 100 suppressed retinal microglia activation by interfering with ASC speck formation, attenuating retinal inflammation, abnormal retinal vascularization, and retinal thinning, and it led to restored retinal function.

  • Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), affecting very low birth weight premature infants is a leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide.

  • ZyVersa is developing Inflammasome ASC Inhibitor IC 100 to inhibit multiple types of inflammasomes and their associated ASC specks that trigger damaging inflammation and its perpetuation and spread to surrounding tissues.

WESTON, Fla., July 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZyVersa Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZVSA, or “ZyVersa”), a clinical stage specialty biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class drugs for treatment of inflammatory and renal diseases, announces that acclaimed inflammasome researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and inventors of Inflammasome ASC Inhibitor IC 100 have published a scientific paper in the peer-reviewed journal, Angiogenesis. The paper demonstrates the crucial role of inflammasome ASC and ASC specks in the development of oxygen-induced retinopathy and provides data showing that Inflammasome ASC Inhibitor IC 100 attenuates impairment of retinal structure and function.

The paper titled, “IC 100, a humanized therapeutic monoclonal anti-ASC antibody alleviates oxygen-induced retinopathy in mice,” summarizes research evaluating mouse models representative of ROP. Following is a summary of key findings:

  • ASC specks, which lead to inflammasome activation, were significantly increased in animal model retinas and colocalized with the abnormal vasculature, along with increased microglial activation indicative of retinal inflammation that leads to retinal damage and disease progression.

  • IC 100 decreased expression of inflammasome-related molecules (ASC, gasdermin D), inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF), and VEGF in animal model retinas.

  • Importantly, IC 100 reduced ASC speck formation and microglial activation, attenuating inflammation, abnormal vascularization, retinal thinning, and retinal dysfunction.

  • The structural and functional improvements demonstrated with IC 100 treatment correlated with corrections of hyperoxia-modulated gene pathways associated with eye development, leukocyte migration, angiogenesis, inflammation, neurogenesis, and VEGF signaling.

“We have demonstrated that IC 100 effectively treated both phases of oxygen-induced retinopathy in a mouse model that resembles ROP in preterm infants, as it decreased retinal vaso-obliteration and intravitreal vascularization,” said Dr. Shu Wu, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Miami. “Our data suggest that IC 100 may have potential therapeutic use in the treatment of preterm infants with ROP.”