Tract Bio Announces Publication Highlighting Stem Cell Variants Driving Lung Inflammation in Modulator-Treated Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Tract Bio recently announced the publication of a research article in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM) highlighting the stem cell variants driving chronic lung inflammation in modulator-treated cystic fibrosis patients (CFTR modulators).

The article, Inflammatory Activity of Epithelial Stem Cell Variants from Cystic Fibrosis Lung Is Not Resolved by CFTR Modulators, appeared in the November 2023 print edition of the peer-reviewed journal. In the publication, study authors suggest that the emergence of three proinflammatory stem cell variants in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung may contribute to the persistence of lung inflammation in CF patients with advanced disease undergoing CFTR modulator therapy.

“Lung neutrophils and inflammatory cytokines remain high in modulator-treated CF patients with established lung disease, emphasizing the importance of identifying and addressing the underlying cause of inflammation in CF lungs,” said Dr. Frank McKeon, PhD, Interim Chief Scientific Officer of Tract Bio. “We identified five stem cell variants common to lungs of patients with advanced CF, three of which exhibit hyperinflammatory gene expression profiles and neutrophilic inflammation. Proinflammatory functions of these variants were unalleviated by genetic or pharmacological restoration of CFTR activity, reflecting the limitations of CFTR modulator drugs to mitigate this inflammation.”

“This research demonstrates the unprecedented potential opportunity our proprietary drug discovery platform provides for identification of novel therapies that selectively target the underlying cause of disease,” added Richard Russell, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Tract Bio. “Our mission in drug discovery is to identify pathogenic stem cells that play a significant role in the most aggressive forms of cancer and inflammation and to develop novel therapies that target them. We have already identified lead compounds that are effective in preclinical models for a wide range of cancers and inflammatory diseases. We aim to eliminate the cause of the condition instead of mitigating the symptoms.”

“This publication underscores the urgent need for additional research efforts and development of novel therapies for CF,” said Wa Xian, PhD, Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston Stem Cell Center. “While CFTR modulators are proven to be an effective therapy for patents with CF, like many currently available treatment options, it does not address all aspects of the disease. The powerful technology that Tract has developed to capture and clone individual stem cells represents an innovative and potentially valuable approach to CF drug discovery and development.”

Tract Bio is a biotechnology company discovering and developing novel therapies to transform treatment of cancer and inflammatory disease. The company’s breakthrough stem cell discovery platform, stemECHO, allows for reliable, high-volume generation of pure stem cell libraries in their ground-state while preserving the functional, genetic and epigenetic integrity of the original stem cell. The stemECHO platform has identified disease-associated stem cells in cancer and inflammatory diseases, including potential treatments for esophageal adenocarcinoma, lung, pancreatic, ovarian and gastric cancer, as well as COPD, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis and Crohn’s Disease. Tract is advancing TP-101, a novel drug combination identified using stemECHO that targets a common mechanism among disease-associated stem cells in cancer. The Company is also developing novel therapies for inflammatory diseases.