Cardiol Therapeutics (TSX:CRDL, NASDAQ:CRDL) Inc has revealed new study results that demonstrate the active pharmaceutical ingredient in CardiolRx inhibits, and promotes, the reversal of mechanisms known to play a role in the occurrence and development of fibrotic cardiovascular disease.
Previous research showed that CardiolRx – the company’s oral pharmaceutical that is being clinically developed for use in cardiovascular disease – preserves cardiac function in a pre-clinical model of heart failure.
Results from the latest study help strengthen evidence of the cardioprotective properties of CardiolRx, suggesting anti-fibrotic mechanisms with therapeutic potential in heart failure, according to Cardiol.
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“These results, together with previously reported pre-clinical in vivo data demonstrating anti-inflammatory activity, underpin our plan to advance the development of a novel subcutaneous formulation of CardiolRx for use in heart failure,” said Dr. Andrew Hamer, Cardiol’s chief medical officer and head of research and development.
The study’s research collaborators from Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center presented the data at The Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America via a poster entitled "Cannabidiol Inhibits Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and also Promotes the Reverse Process in vitro.”
Anti-fibrotic effect
The authors concluded that the API in CardiolRx protects cardiac function and exhibits an anti-fibrotic effect, possibly mediated by endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, or EndoMT.
In the study, EndoMT was induced in HUVEC cells, a model system for studying human endothelial cell function, using a combination of agents.
EndoMT was characterized through immunofluorescence for endothelial and mesenchymal markers. CardiolRx was added during the EndoMT induction process, and on Day 4 following induction, IF studies were performed.
CardiolRx reduced the expression of the mesenchymal marker Vimentin in a dose-dependent manner, according to Cardiol.
Separately, CardiolRx was added to EndoMT transitioned cells, and IF studies were performed on Day 8. The drug was shown to reduce Vimentin expression, suggesting reversal of EndoMT in vitro and providing further evidence that the cardioprotective properties of CardiolRx are due, in part, to the modulation of EndoMT, Cardiol said.
Oakville, Ontario-based Cardiol is a clinical-stage life sciences company focused on the research and clinical development of anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
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