While the main focus of
drug research in the last few decades has
been on disease pathogenesis and identifying molecules that would
interrupt such pathogenesis, Genervon Biopharmaceuticals took an
alternative “womb to therapy” approach and focused
on discovering master regulators that play significant roles in
embryonic development. Genervon hypothesized that such entities, being
integral components of human fetal development, must be able to correct
inadvertent errors in that development and thus be life sustaining and
potentially therapeutic. Embryonic development is incredibly intricate
and yet is accurately repeated with remarkable consistency.
Throughout the embryonic
development process, there are crucial master regulators that oversee
cell proliferation/apoptosis, differentiation, repair,
inflammation/anti-inflammation, and overall developmental balance.
Genervon’s core insight is that proteins that participate in
the regulation of the embryonic system's development are likely
to be multi-functional master regulators that have neurological and
neurovascular protective qualities.
The
Discovery
Motoneuronotrophic Factor
(MNTF) was first discovered by Genervon’s scientists that
play significant roles in embryonic development. Genervon was granted a
Composition of Matter Patents by US and international jurisdictions for
the novel polynucleotide and peptide sequences.
Motoneuronotrophic factor
(MNTF) is a neurotrophic molecule that binds on very specific receptors
of the nervous system. It is an integral component of human fetal
development. It is able to correct inadvertent errors in that
development and thus be life sustaining and potentially therapeutic.
Throughout the embryonic development process, there are crucial regulatory pathways that oversee cell proliferation/apoptosis, differentiation, repair, inflammation/anti-inflammation, and overall developmental balance. MNTF is a specific master regulator that participates in regulating embryonic nervous system development. It is likely such a multi-functional master regulator that will have neurological protective qualities.
Human
Fetal Development
Genervon discovered and
reported that the human gene encoding MNTF is located on chromosome
16q22. The gene is expressed in human fetal Multiple Tissue cDNA (MTC)
panels including thymus, liver, kidney, brain, lung, heart, and
skeletal muscle. The potential functional significance of MNTF is that
it may be an integral component of human fetal development, especially
during the first trimester. We studied the developing chorionic villi
of human placentas during pregnancy with the MNTF monoclonal antibody
in immunohistochemical studies. The results revealed that the relative
amount of natural MNTF in the placenta varied with gestational ages. It
rises rapidly during the sixth to ninth weeks, peaks at the ninth week,
and then declines progressively to minimal levels at the terminal week
age. It is expressed in very low level in adult human MTC panels.
Stem
Cell Differentiation
Stem cell studies at
Johns Hopkins Medical Center showed that synthetic MNTF can effectively
differentiate embryonic stem cells in vitro into motor neurons.
Nerve
Regeneration
Synthetic MNTF promotes
in vitro motor neuron proliferation in a dose-dependent fashion. In
peripheral nervous system (PNS) studies at Johns Hopkins, MNTF also
promoted motor neuron regeneration across an 8mm gap in the rat sciatic
nerve in a dose-dependent fashion. In another study, rat femoral nerves
were transected and sutured, and femoral cutaneous and muscle branches
were labeled. Synthetic MNTF promoted correct reinnervation of muscle
nerves by motor neurons at concentrations as low as 10-5M. Thus, it
appeared that MNTF plays an important role during the embryonic
development of the nervous system and selectively promotes motoneurons
regeneration in adulthood.
