$1.5M NIH Grant Received to Develop New Treatment for Periodontal Disease
Dr. Maria Ryan leads team investigating new class of anti-inflammatory agents
STONY BROOK, N.Y., October 17, 2013 – The Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine and GlycoMira Therapeutics, Inc., has received a two-year $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) to develop a new treatment for periodontal disease, one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory conditions without any known cure. The Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award supports the continuing development of a new class of anti-inflammatory agents. The project is led by Stony Brook Medicine’s Maria Ryan, DDS, PhD.
The NIDCR award allows GlycoMira to develop its semi-synthetic glycosaminoglycan ether (SAGE) technology as an effective local therapy for gingivitis and periodontitis. Chronic gingival inflammation afflicts over half of all American adults and can progress to periodontal disease, eventually resulting in tooth loss. Periodontal disease is exacerbated by diabetes and smoking, and periodontitis subsequently increases the risk of systemic illness such as cardiovascular and renal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and pregnancy complications.
“Stony Brook Dental Medicine is committed to increasing awareness of the often silent gum disease known as periodontitis, which if not treated properly can have a significant impact on overall health,” said Dr. Ryan, Co-Principal Investigator of the grant and the Professor and Chair of Oral Biology & Pathology at Stony Brook University. “We are thrilled to see this innovative technology that will provide us with new therapeutic options to better manage periodontitis, move to the next phase of preclinical development and work with GlycoMira to introduce this new technology into the clinical setting and the practice of dentistry.”
GlycoMira’s SAGE technology consists of a proprietary class of metabolically stabilized polysaccharides that are systemically and topically safe anti-inflammatory agents. Based on the preclinical results obtained during a previously awarded Stony Brook University /GlycoMira Phase I SBIR, GlycoMira's SAGEs were found to block multiple pathways of periodontal disease progression. The pilot study demonstrated that GlycoMira’s lead compound, GM-0111, reduced key molecules involved in the destructive processes that lead to bone loss in an accelerated model of periodontal disease.
Additionally, Dr. Ryan said that by targeting receptors for advanced glycation end-products or RAGE pathophysiology, SAGE has a high potential to impact the difficult-to-treat subset of periodontal patients comprising of people with diabetes and smokers.
To further develop the new periodontal treatment technology, Dr. Ryan is collaborating with Co-Investigators Dr. Ying Gu of the Department of General Dentistry and Dr. Stephen Walker of the Department of Oral Biology & Pathology at Stony Brook, and with other researchers at the University of Utah, including Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Glenn D. Prestwich.
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About the Department of Oral Biology & Pathology at Stony Brook University
The mission of the Department is to support the mission of Stony Brook Medicine and Stony Brook University through scientific discoveries coupled with the dissemination and application of new knowledge in the health sciences through robust educational and research programs. The Department of Oral Biology & Pathology has a multidisciplinary faculty committed to research, teaching and service. The Department with its outstanding record of achievement in translational oral research develops new treatment paradigms, generates new products for oral health, and has integrated translational research concepts into its educational curriculum.
About GlycoMira
GlycoMira Therapeutics, Inc. is a development stage pharmaceutical company with a novel approach to treating inflammatory diseases that affect over 150 million Americans. GlycoMira was launched in early 2008 by University of Utah researchers and entrepreneurs, Glenn D. Prestwich, PhD and Thomas P. Kennedy, MD. In collaboration with physicians and scientists at the University of Utah and Stony Brook University, GlycoMira is developing unique, proprietary inflammation-modulating therapeutics that are safe and effective for the topical treatment of periodontal disease, gingivitis, oral inflammation and bladder inflammation.
