Sphingomab effective vs MI fibrosis in mice

San Diego, USA-based drugmaker Lpath reported study findings showing that one of its potential therapeutic antibody products can mitigate excessive fibrosis in the hearts of mice after a myocardial infarction.

The data, which were presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago, Illinois, suggest that the antibody, Sphingomab, could some day treat a major form of heart failure that is attributed to excessive scarring (fibrosis) due to the over-activity of a cell type in the heart called the cardiac fibroblast.

According to Roger Sabbadini, chief scientific officer of Lpath, the company has developed a monoclonal antibody against sphingosine-1-phosphate and validated it as a therapeutic target for the treatment of heart disease. "The ability of the Sphingomab to target S1P," he said, "validates this bioactive lipid as being responsible, at least in part, for stimulating cardiac fibroblasts to lay down excessive scar tissue. This leads to compromised heart function and decreased diffusion of nutrients to the heart during the first weeks following a heart attack."