Transplantation of Curis' Hedgehog Protein and Brain Precursor Cells Improves Function in a Model of Spinal Cord Injury
Wednesday October 22, 8:54 am ET
Preclinical study wins "Outstanding Paper" Award at annual meeting of the North American Spine Society
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 22, 2003-- Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS - News) today announced that there will be a presentation of a paper on Friday, October 24, 2003 at the annual meeting of the North American Spine Society which demonstrates that administration of Hedgehog protein and certain brain precursor cells results in improved function in a model of spinal cord injury. This study has been distinguished with an "Outstanding Paper" award given by the society.
The paper is entitled "Transplantation of Oligodendryocyte Precursors and Sonic Hedgehog Results in Improved Function and White Matter Sparing in the Spinal Cords of Adult Rats after Contusion". The authors of the study, Drs. Nicholas Bambikidis and Robert Miller of the Departments of Neurosurgery and Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University, suggest that Hedgehog may be acting by increasing the replication of spinal cord precursor cells and by increasing nerve function.
Curis supplied the Hedgehog protein that was used in the study. Curis is developing drug candidates that activate the Hedgehog signaling pathway for the treatment of spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders.
Dr. Lee Rubin, Curis' Chief Scientific Officer, said, "This report adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests a major role for the Hedgehog pathway in controlling the number and type of cells in the spinal cord after it has been damaged, thereby promoting repair and regeneration."
Daniel Passeri, Curis' President and Chief Executive Officer stated, "Spinal cord injury is a devastating condition that often results in lifelong disability for which there is no adequate treatment. Spinal cord injuries occur in approximately 12,000 to 15,000 people per year in the U.S. with about 10,000 of these people permanently paralyzed. These new results point to another possible therapeutic indication for Curis' Hedgehog technologies in the neurobiology field."
About Curis, Inc.
Curis, Inc. is a therapeutic drug development company. The Company's technology focus is on regulatory pathways that control repair and regeneration. Curis' product development involves the use of proteins or small molecules to modulate these pathways. Curis has successfully used this technology and product development approach to produce several promising drug product candidates in the fields of kidney disease, neurological disorders, cancer, and alopecia (hair loss). For more information, please visit the Curis web site at www.curis.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements concerning Curis or management's intentions, plans, expectations or predictions of future events are forward-looking statements. Such statements may contain the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "estimates" or similar expressions. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Actual results can be affected by, among other things, uncertainties relating to product development, clinical trials, regulatory actions or delays, the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection, changes in or an inability to execute Curis' realigned business strategy and other risk factors identified in Curis' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Curis disclaims any intention or obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
Contact:
Curis, Inc.
Christopher U. Missling, Ph.D., 617-503-6587
Marc F. Charette, Ph.D., 617-503-6629
Source: Curis, Inc. |
