Eleusis, a clinical stage life science company established to develop the therapeutic potential of serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2A) agonists, also known as psychedelics, today announced new research published in Scientific Reports demonstrating the anti-inflammatory properties of 5-HT2A agonists in a translational model of cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is known to be promoted by systemic inflammation in the body.
The publication, titled “Activation of 5-HT2 Receptors Reduces Inflammation in Vascular Tissue and Cholesterol Levels in High-Fat Diet-Fed Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice,” highlights the anti-inflammatory properties of 5-HT2A receptor agonists in CVD, as evidenced by significant reductions in the in vivo expression of proinflammatory biomarkers (Il-6, vcam1, and tnf-α mRNA) in vascular tissues from a CVD rodent model. The results indicate therapeutic benefit in the prevention of metabolic disease characterized by vascular inflammation (atherosclerosis), high cholesterol, and low glycemic tolerance.
The publication presents data that demonstrate 5-HT2A receptor agonists are efficacious in addressing the prevention of inflammation in a disease context and that they appear to provide added therapeutic benefits beyond blocking inflammation. In CVD, these additional benefits include prevention of high cholesterol and a low glycemic tolerance.
“I am particularly excited by our data that further establishes the therapeutic potential of serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonists to prevent inflammatory related diseases,” said Charles Nichols Ph.D., the lead author of the study and Professor of Pharmacology at the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. “Our research provides a solid foundation to advance the clinical development of 5-HT2A receptor agonists to address unmet needs in chronic inflammatory diseases.”
“These results further validate our proprietary pipeline of 5-HT2A agonists and their therapeutic potential to treat inflammation,” said Shlomi Raz, Chairman and Founder of Eleusis. “We plan to advance our lead candidate ELE-02 into Phase II trials and are confident the technologies Eleusis is developing to mitigate and manage 5-HT2A agonist associated psychoactivity will serve to unlock the significant transformative potential of this highly promising drug class.”
About Eleusis Ltd.
Founded in 2013, Eleusis is the first privately held, clinical-stage life science company dedicated to unlocking the full therapeutic potential of psychedelics, guided by science and enabled by drug discovery, clinical development and care delivery design. The company’s comprehensive discovery, development and delivery capabilities enable it to target a broad spectrum of unmet needs within psychiatry, and beyond psychiatry. For more information, visit https://www.eleusisltd.com/
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