Halting a renegade enzyme
ViDA Therapeutics is working to help people shake off the effects of age by sticking a sock in the mouth of one of the body’s trickiest frenemies.
The immune system produces an enzyme called granzyme B to target and kill infected cells. So far, so good.
But several years ago researchers at Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital found high levels of granzyme B outside of cells in aged and damaged human skin. They also discovered high levels of the enzyme in the occurrence of other ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibrosis and heart disease.
Knowing they were on a promising path, research scientist and University of B.C. professor Dave Granville joined forces with Vancouver biotechnology veteran Alistair Duncan in 2008 to launch viDA.
Since then, viDA’s research team has developed a library of molecular compounds to inhibit granzyme B.
“Granzyme B is running amok and causing damage from rheumatoid arthritis to heart conditions to neural inflammation,” Duncan says. “If you picture granzyme B as a PacMan that goes around gobbling, we stick a sock in its mouth so it can’t gobble anymore, allowing the healing process to begin.”
Privately owned viDA is focused on research to develop a cream to tackle skin aging and discoid lupus erythematosus, an auto-immune disease aggravated by sunlight that can cause facial scarring. Pop musician Seal has this condition.
ViDA is also exploring how its granzyme B inhibitors may be used to treat other diseases such as aneurysms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Getting a skin treatment through the regulatory pipeline to market may take seven to eight years, Duncan says.
Given that granzyme B levels rise with age, baby boomers may wish to pay attention.