GREAT FALLS, Va. – MitoSense, Inc., a life-science company focused on harnessing the power of mitochondria to fight disease, announced today that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
With exclusively licensed and patent-pending technology known as Mitochondria Organelle Transplantation (MOTTM ) to replenish mitochondria to fight disease, MitoSense is focused on improving the outcome of those with neurodegenerative disorders, like ALS, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases.
Under the CRADA, initial efforts will focus on analysis of mitochondrial transplantation studies to determine the outcomes and impact on disease. Researchers will also collect clinical studies on ALS focused primarily on therapeutic approaches to determine outcomes, analyze biomarkers, and measure efficacy of treatment. In addition, researchers will develop an Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol for a retrospective study in the VA of all ALS patients.
Most significantly, the agreement with the VA will allow scientists to evaluate the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence in developing algorithms capable of ALS diagnosis and progression assessment. VA and MitoSense scientists will also identify concepts for a prospective study in the VA for ALS patients to further evaluate algorithms.
According to a 2015 study conducted by scientists at Harvard's School of Public Health, U.S. veterans have nearly a 60% higher risk of developing Lou Gehrig's Disease (also known as ALS) than the general population.
"The VA is exactly who our doctors and scientists want to work with in the fight against ALS," said MitoSense Board Chairman Van Hipp. "The James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, in particular, is the right place to carry out this work because it is one of the VA's five National Polytrauma Centers and it treats the most ALS patients in the entire VA system."
Dr. Charles Brock, MD, Chief of Neurology Service at The James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, said, "ALS as well as other neurodegenerative diseases are devastating diseases for which we have few available therapies to slow progression let alone attempt a cure. The theoretical benefit that may be applied through application of mitochondrial transplant offers hopeful prospects for slowing progression of disease and enhancing functional abilities of patients. Investigation of the physiologic benefit of this therapy and the underlying mechanisms of action represent a new avenue for treatment application. We support working together on this project to benefit veterans and all patients with these otherwise devastating diseases."
Dr. Steven Scott, DO, Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Medical Director of the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center at the The James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, also noted that "veterans, who fought for our freedom and now suffer from ALS, may be able to regain freedoms of everyday life due to this research."
Further work in ALS is planned in future phases of the CRADA.
