Alterity Therapeutics (ASX:ATH) has announced that the peer-reviewed journal Metallomics has published data on the importance of iron and iron-targeting agents like ATH434 to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
Metallomics publishes investigations that elucidate the dynamics, role, and impact of metals in biological systems.
Alterity CEO Dr David Stamler said, “Iron has long been implicated in neurodegeneration, but having the appropriate iron-targeting agent is critical to having a positive impact on treating disease. This ground-breaking publication demonstrates the novel way in which ATH434 targets the labile, or reactive, form of iron which can be so damaging to cells when in excess. ATH434 acts as an iron chaperone to redistribute this excess reactive iron, thereby reducing protein aggregation and oxidative stress in the brain and rescuing neuronal function.”
Author Ashley Pall of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Wayne State University led the publication, 'ATH434, a promising iron-targeting compound for treating iron regulation disorders'.
The company said the novel iron-binding properties of ATH434 presented in the publication support its characterisation as an iron chaperone.
The publication describes how ATH434 targets the toxic form of iron that drives the pathology of a rare neurodegenerative disease known as Friedreich’s Ataxia. This toxic form of iron is also involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy (MSA), which is the company’s lead indication.