Terrapin Technologies Strikes Stanford Deal

Terrapin Technologies and Stanford University in the USA have signed a deal covering a collaboration on the discovery of new therapies for the potential treatment of inflammatory, allergic and autoimmune diseases.

The work is based on studies by Daria Mochly-Rosen of Stanford, who has identified highly specific modulators of the interaction between protein kinase C (PKC) and receptors for activated C kinase (RACKs). The binding of each PKC to a distinct RACK is believed to result in the proper localization of PKC within the cell and thereby control its function.

Applied to the immune system, regulation of PKC function has potential value for limiting rejection of organ transplants and for treating autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, as well as allergic disease. Dr Mochly-Rosen feels the discovery of both stimulators and inhibitors to specific PKC-RACK subtype interactions will allow research teams to focus on blocking RACK activations specific to a particular disease process.