LUCA Science Announces Joint Research With Division of Cardiology, Field of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine on the Development of Mitochondrial Therapy for Myocardial Infarction (Cardiac Ischemic-reperfusion Injury)

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LUCA Science (Tokyo, Japan), a biotechnology company pioneering a novel class of mitochondrial therapeutics, announced today that it will collaborate with the Division of Cardiology, Field of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine to initiate a joint research on the development of mitochondrial therapy for cardiac ischemic–reperfusion injury.

Background of joint research

Ischemic heart disease (myocardial infarction and angina) still remains the leading cause of death in the world despite advances in treatment and prevention *1. Ischemia, the cause of these disorders, is a condition in which blood flow is temporarily blocked, interrupting the oxygen supply to the myocardial tissue and severely impairing its function. Blood reperfusion is required to recover tissue function. However, reperfusion causes an increase in intracellular calcium and reactive oxygen species (free radicals), which induce intracellular mitochondrial damage, cardiomyocyte necrosis, and arrhythmias, among other disorders.

The Division of Cardiology, Field of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine is conducting basic and clinical research on regenerative medicine, severe heart failure, arrhythmia and ischemic heart disease, and has extensive experience in research on the diagnosis and treatment of various cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension and peripheral arterial disease.

LUCA Science is developing an innovative platform of highly functional mitochondrial therapy using proprietary technologies: LUCA Science’s mitochondria can be stored and delivered as a biopharmaceutical agent. The bioenergetics enhancement, tissue protection and cellular functional improvement from the mitochondria therapy is expected to reduce the size of myocardial infarction due to ischemia-reperfusion injury and provide therapeutic benefits for acute myocardial infarction.

Comment from Prof. Toyoaki Murohara at the Division of Cardiology, Field of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.

“Mitochondria are very important organelles that produce energy in the cell. Until now, most research has been conducted to improve mitochondrial function using drugs, but this is a completely new and innovative research project that involves the direct administration of purified mitochondria into the body for therapeutic applications. We are planning to work with LUCA Science to study the effects of mitochondrial therapy on myocardial damage.”

About LUCA Science

LUCA Science is a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a new class of mitochondrial therapy to restore cellular bioenergetics in dysfunctional or damaged tissues and organs. Mitochondria are the power plants in our cells that produce energy for our bodies. LUCA Science has developed a novel method to isolate proprietary functional mitochondria which can then be stored and delivered as a biopharmaceutical agent. The advanced delivery system can be applied not just for mitochondria but also other compounds that can improve bioenergetics in specific cells or tissues.

LUCA Science recently completed $9.8 million Series A financing.

*1: World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Estimates 2016: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2016. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2018.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death

LUCA Science Inc.
Name : LUCA Science Inc.
Headquarters : 3-8-3, Nihonbashi Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0023, Japan
CEO : Rick C. Tsai DMD, MD
Established : December 25th 2018
Employees : 12
URL : https://luca-science.com
Business : Research and development of mitochondrial biopharmaceuticals