Oxygen Therapeutic May Prevent Reperfusion Injury

A preclinical in vitro study has demonstrated that an oxygen therapeutic may have special application in the treatment of reperfusion injury. These findings were presented at the Annual Winter Symposium of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons in Miami (FL, USA).

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers are a new class of oxygen therapeutics that may be useful in cases of acute anemia, in the maintenance of isolated tissues, and in the reperfusion of transplanted organs. When oxygen is reintroduced to ischemic tissue by fluids, it can lead to tissue injury resulting from the formation of reactive oxygen species. This injury is difficult to manage in a surgical setting. In the study, researchers focused on the effectiveness of a conjugate of 0-raffinose-polymerized hemoglobin and a soluble vitamin E analogue with broad antioxidant properties, called HRC-102, as a potential agent to lessen reperfusion injury.

The results showed that HCR-102 appeared to provide complete protection of red blood cells exposed to peroxl-mediated damage, making it a viable candidate for continued development. Neither the antioxidant activity of HCR-102 nor the oxygen-carrying ability of the hemoglobin was impaired following conjugation. HCR-102 is being developed by Hemosol Inc. (Mississauga, Canada). The company develops therapies to treat acute anemia resulting from hemoglobin deficiencies. Its flagship product, Hemolink, is currently in late-stage clinical trials. Hemolink is designed to rapidly and safely improve oxygen delivery to the circulatory system.

"This advancement in our pipeline illustrates both the strong research and development capabilities of Hemosol and also our commitment to building a portfolio of life-sustaining oxygen therapeutics,” said David Bell, Ph.D., vice president, drug development, Hemosol.




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