APN-sEVs, functional and stable adiponectin on sEVs
Ciloa's EV bioengineering platform, EVENGI, reproduces the natural functional form of adiponectin to fully exploit its wide therapeutic potential to improve patients' health.
Adiponectin is a molecule secreted by adipocytes (fat cells) that was discovered in 1995. Since its discovery, it has been the subject of over 27,000 scientific publications, highlighting its importance in the regulation of various metabolic processes and in the protection of cells from inflammation, oxidative-stress, and apoptosis.
Adiponectin is a multi-faceted hormone with far-reaching effects on metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, fat metabolism, and disease prevention, all of which make it a critical molecule in the context of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular health, paving the way for many applications in medicine and treatment strategies.
Adiponectin
Adiponectin and its effects on organs
Challenges
The production of native adiponectin, with all its post-translational modifications, its correct assembly into high molecular weight (HMW) complexes is a challenge, which adds to its short half-life. These challenges make it difficult to produce commercially affordable bioactive recombinant proteins. Until now, the only alternative strategy has been to find and use agents that increase adiponectin expression and secretion.
sEV-based therapeutic
Ciloa is the first company to have succeeded in producing stable (> 1.5 years at 4°C), multimerised and native adiponectin (APN) by addressing it to the surface of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) using its patented pilot peptide technology.
APN presented by sEVs (APN-sEVs) has revealed lipogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and fatty acid oxidative impact in vivo. Such metabolic effects complement those of current anti-diabetic drugs like GLP-1R agonists. Indeed, co-injection of both drugs triggers remarkable synergistic effects on i) body weight loss, ii) reduction of fat storage in white adipose tissue, iii) recovery of insulin sensitivity, iv) glycemia regulation, and v) insulin regulation, while vi) preserving muscle mass, without any liver toxicity.
APN on sEVs appears to be the “Guardian Angel” described in the literature.
Main therapeutic effects of APN-sEVs and GLP-1 RA combination on obese/diabetic mice
A disruptive bio-therapeutic with a wide range of applications
Ciloa has taken up the challenge of producing stable, functional APNs, which has eluded the field for 25 years.
APN-sEVs hold immense potential for restoring physiological balance. Initial applications are in obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), followed quickly by broader applications in cardiovascular diseases, retinopathies (AMD, neonatal, diabetes), and inflammatory diseases (skin, lung, brain), etc.
