Citryll collaborates with leading NET researcher Dr. Markus Hoffmann
September 18, 2019
Oss, The Netherlands, Erlangen, Germany September 18, 2019 —https://citryll.com/ announced today that it has established a collaboration with Dr. Markus Hoffmann of the Department of Medicine 3, Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg to investigate the mechanism of action (MoA) of its lead CIT-013 (tACPA) antibody programme. CIT-013 interferes with the formation, function and clearance of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), downstream of the peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) dependant citrullination pathway
Dr. Hoffmann and colleagues investigate the impact that cells undergoing NET formation have on the development and maintenance of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and gout. The regulatory role of NETs has been an important focus of their research interest with ample publications on the subject.
“Neutrophils in general, and NETs in particular, are increasingly recognized as an important player in an ever-growing list of pathological conditions. As inhibitors of the pro-inflammatory effects of NETs, tACPA are very interesting new candidates for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.”, says Dr. Hoffmann.
“CIT-013 inhibits formation of NETs, which prevents the release of new autoantigens and proinflammatory factors in tissues and circulation. I am confident that our collaboration with Dr. Hoffmann will help to further understand CIT-013’s MoA.”, says CSO Renato Chirivi.
“We believe that drugs that target NET biology have the potential to create breakthrough treatments to prevent or treat human disease such as lupus, vasculitis, and organ damage due to sepsis. Citryll’s approach does not broadly target inflammation or acquired immunity, instead it extinguishes the source of autoantigens and NET-derived toxic molecules in the safest way currently possible”, says CEO Helmuth van Es.
About Citryll
Citryll BV is a private pharmaceutical company based in Oss, the Netherlands that is dedicated to the development and commercialization of therapeutics that target NETosis and NETs. Citryll was founded by ModiQuest B.V., originator of the tACPA patents, Helmuth van Es, CEO Citryll (co-founder of Audion Therapeutics, Galapagos, Antabio and Effecta Pharma), and Renato Chirivi, CSO Citryll and co-inventor of tACPA antibodies.
About the Immunology and Rheumatology Department (Medicine 3) of the Friedrich Alexander University
(https://www.uk-erlangen.de) The department is a clinical and translational research centre dedicated to understand the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. It combines an Experimental Medicine Centre based on a 21-bed ward for innovative treatment of patients with severe inflammatory disease and an outpatient clinic for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and a Translational Research Centre, dedicated to elucidate the pathogenesis of inflammatory disease. The TRC follows a comprehensive research approach based on the analysis of patient material as well as tailored disease modelling by high-level cell- and molecular biology. Scientific competence of the centre is underlined by its labelling as ”European Centre of Excellence” awarded by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) for high-level disease-oriented research. The particular strength of this centre is based on a tight interaction between patient-orientated research and translational science realized by joint project groups consisting of biologists and medical doctors, thus allowing translation and reverse translation of data between disease models and human disease.
Back to News