BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Therapeutics: Factor XII

June 2, 2016 7:00 AM UTC

Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting Factor XII could help treat MS. In patient plasma samples or in mouse lymph nodes from the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS, Factor XII levels were higher than in plasma from healthy volunteers or lymph nodes of normal mice. In the EAE mice, systemic knockout of Factor XII delayed disease onset and decreased disease severity, numbers of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in the CNS and spinal cord inflammation compared with normal Factor XII expression. In a mouse model of relapsing-remitting MS, a Factor XII inhibitor tool compound decreased the number and severity of relapses compared with vehicle. In a mouse model of spontaneous MS, the inhibitor decreased CD4+ T cell infiltration in CNS and disease progression and increased motor coordination. Next steps could include testing and improving safety and efficacy of Factor XII inhibitors to treat MS. ...