ADVANCING INNOVATIVE MEDICINES FOR AORTIC DISEASE
INNOVATIVE MEDICINES TO MAINTAIN AND RESTORE AORTA HEALTH
ZoSaLa Pharma’s Mission
Aortic disease is often asymptomatic, first revealing itself with a fatal or life-threatening event. Over time, it causes the wall of the aorta to weaken and often become thinner in a certain place, ballooning outward. Left unchecked, a diseased aorta can tear open (dissect) or rupture. The vast majority of patients with aortic disease ultimately must endure an intrusive procedure with attendant risks and complications.
Our goal is to offer persons living with, or at high risk for, aortic disease a safe and effective alternative to the current standard of care, which comprises monitoring by periodic imaging and use of medications that may reduce risk, but do not impede aortic disease progression.
Parts of the Aorta
The aorta has different main segments (thoracic and abdominal) and within each of them, subsections. Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) may occur in the aortic root or ascending aorta 60%, involve the arch 10%, involve the thoracoabdominal aorta, or involve the descending aorta 40% (see figure top right). Some cases of thoracic aortic disease are caused by genetic conditions not associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). However, the end result of thoracic and abdominal aortic disease is, too often, diminution of aortic wall integrity causing a catastrophic dissection or rupture. ZoSaLa is pursuing pharmacological approaches to maintain and renew the cells most involved in aortic wall health.
ZoSaLa’s Innovative Approach
Cells called vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) and endothelial cells play primary roles in aortic health. In almost all cells, including aortic wall cells, molecules called proteins are the “workers and doers” and other types of molecules called nucleic acids, DNA (genes) or RNA carry the information needed for cells to make proteins. The set of thousands of proteins operating at any given time in a cell largely determines the identify-category (phenotype), function and health of the cell. vSMC that are healthy and doing their job in the aortic wall are said to possess a contractile phenotype. Pathological, vSMC that cannot do their job and, in many cases, propagate pathology to other cells are called synthetic vSMC. Fortunately, ZoSaLa has identified agents able to alter the set of proteins being made in cells of the aorta in ways that maintain and renew aortic health and function.