Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Extracellular NAMPT is a Novel Therapeutic Target in Chorioamnionitis-Related Prematurity (ChorP)

Award Number: R41HD101202
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/18/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2021

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Extracellular NAMPT is a Novel Therapeutic Target in Chorioamnionitis-Related Prematurity (ChorP) - ABSTRACT: Intrauterine infection and chorioamnionitis are common complications of pregnancy associated with significant maternal, perinatal, and long-term adverse outcomes. Adverse maternal outcomes include postpartum infections and sepsis while adverse infant outcomes include stillbirth, premature birth, neonatal sepsis, chronic lung disease and brain injury leading to cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. There is a desperate need to identify novel therapies to reduce the perinatal mortality and long-term morbidity of chorioamnionitis-related prematurity (ChorP). The mechanisms responsible for chorioamnionitis-induced preterm birth remain poorly understood but involve chorioamnionitis-induced development of the fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) defined by increased systemic inflammatory cytokine concentrations, inflammation of the umbilical cord, and fetal vasculitis. FIRS leads to poor cardiorespiratory, neurological, retinal, and renal outcomes in the newborn infants. Given that over 400,000 premature births occur each year in the US, there is an unmet need to address the complications of chorioamnionitis-related prematurity (ChorP) beyond the current therapy of antibiotic administration. Aqualung Therapeutics, Corp. has identified a novel therapeutic ChorP target, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), an upstream highly inflammatory cytozyme that binds Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and, we speculate, contributes to FIRS development. We have recently demonstrated that NAMPT expression in placentas from women with chorioamnionitis is dramatically increased and that women with ChorP have elevated eNAMPT levels in their plasma. Of further critical importance, the IV delivery of a polyclonal eNAMPT-neutralizing antibody (pAb) in the preclinical pregnant mouse model of ChorP, attenuates the development of FIRS, premature delivery, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We speculate eNAMPT to significantly contribute to ChorP and FIRS development. Given the lack of currently approved therapies for ChorP, Specific Aim #1 of this STTR Phase I application is designed to validate eNAMPT as a ChorP biomarker and link plasma eNAMPT levels in high risk pregnant mothers (utilizing a highly specific ELISA assay) to the risk of developing ChorP. In preclinical ChorP studies, Specific Aim #2 will assess whether our lead eNAMPT-neutralizing humanized mAb, eNamptorTM (currently in stable cell line development) is an effective therapeutic intervention for pregnant murine dams with ChorP to ameliorate ChorP mortality and lung injury (bronchopulmonary dysplasia) utilizing wild type and NAMPT-/- heterozygous mice. This academic-private biotech partnership (University of Arizona-Aqualung Therapeutics) will leverage substantial clinical and translational expertise to address a serious unmet medical need and improve preterm morbidity and mortality in this vexing disorder by ameliorating novel signaling pathways not previously targeted in ChorP.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2022	2020	AQUALUNG THERAPEUTICS CORP.	1790 EAST RIVER #205	TUCSON	AZ	85718	PIMA	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	2/22/2022	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2021	2020	AQUALUNG THERAPEUTICS CORP.	4425 N HACIENDA DEL SOL ROAD	TUCSON	AZ	85718	PIMA	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	10/15/2020	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $265,096 )
2020	2020	AQUALUNG THERAPEUTICS CORP.	4425 N HACIENDA DEL SOL ROAD	TUCSON	AZ	85718	PIMA	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	9/18/2020	NEW	$265,096
														Subtotal = $265,096

Grand Total All Awards = $265,096

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Extracellular NAMPT is a Novel Therapeutic Target in Chorioamnionitis-Related Prematurity (ChorP)

Award Number: R41HD101202

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/18/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2021

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer