Sigyn Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: SIGY), developer of CardioDialysis, a medical device that enables continuous broad-spectrum clearance of inflammatory and pathogenic molecules from the bloodstream, today announced the launch of an initiative to evaluate emerging medical technologies in former NFL players at risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Former NFL players experience significantly higher rates of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Parkinson's disease, and CTE, which has been diagnosed post-mortem in a majority of former NFL players. While repetitive head trauma is a known trigger for CTE initiation, chronic inflammation has been discovered to be the principal driver of disease progression.
Last month, researchers at Trinity College Dublin reported that the protective blood-brain barrier (BBB) can be compromised by chronic inflammation and remain leaky for decades after an athlete retires from a sport involving repetitive head trauma. As a result, inflammatory and pathogenic molecules can leak into the brain, triggering neuroinflammation that accelerates abnormal accumulation of tau-protein, the hallmark indicator of CTE. Based on this discovery, it is anticipated that many former NFL players could be living in a persistent state of hyper-inflammation that increases their risk for CTE.
In response, Sigyn Therapeutics is establishing a collaborative initiative to evaluate emerging medical technologies with the potential to diagnose, monitor or treat CTE. The initiative plans to:
Evaluate the feasibility of CardioDialysis, an extracorporeal blood purification technology, to reduce the circulating presence of key inflammatory and pathogenic molecules that fuel CTE progression. Complete an evaluation of blood-based neuron-derived exosome assays that offer to monitor CTE progression and response to therapies, and provide insight into changes in BBB permeability. Complete the evaluation of other candidate therapies, including a tau vaccine and a brain-delivered anti-inflammatory drug agent.
“Based on my previous participation in two landmark studies of CTE in former NFL players, the knowledge that the brains of collision sport athletes can remain permeable for decades opens the door to new strategies to diagnose CTE in the living and for treating the disease through a targeted control of inflammation,” said Jim Joyce, CEO of Sigyn Therapeutics.
In the field of subtractive medicine, CardioDialysis is the first technology to integrate plasma separation and therapeutic adsorption into a single device, enabling continuous broad-spectrum clearance of both inflammatory and pathogenic molecules from the bloodstream. This includes clearance of inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6, as well as bacterial endotoxin. These are among the most relevant BBB-crossing contributors to CTE progression. Related to CTE, excessive inflammatory cytokine production also increases gut permeability, allowing bacterial endotoxin to leak into the bloodstream, which further amplifies inflammation into a chronic self-perpetuating loop of neuroinflammation.
Sigyn Therapeutics is the developer of CardioDialysis, a next-generation blood purification technology. Within the emerging field of subtractive medicine, CardioDialysis is the first therapy to integrate plasma separation and therapeutic adsorption within a single device. Therapeutic opportunities include sepsis, life-threatening viral infections, neuroinflammatory disorders, and cardiovascular disease. In the treatment of cardiovascular disease, CardioDialysis aims to reduce circulating inflammatory mediators while lowering levels of cholesterol-transporting lipoproteins that contribute to heart attacks and strokes. The Company's development pipeline also includes ImmunePrep to optimize delivery of immunotherapeutic antibodies, ChemoPrep to enhance targeted delivery of chemotherapy, and ChemoPure to reduce chemotherapy toxicity.
To learn more about Sigyn Therapeutics, visit www.SigynTherapeutics.com.
