Perfuse Therapeutics’ primary focus is endothelin signaling, implicated in a variety of diseases.
Endothelin signaling is a key regulator of blood vessel tone. Endothelin is the strongest vasoconstrictor in the human body, and excess levels result in decreased blood flow and cell damage.
In addition to its key role in regulating blood vessel tone, endothelin plays a role in regulating inflammation and cell death through its receptors expressed in vascular and non-vascular cells.
Upregulation of endothelin signaling have been implicated in the development and progression of many systemic diseases, including pulmonary artery hypertension, several forms of chronic kidney diseases and cerebrovascular disease. Inhibition of systemic endothelin signaling has been effective with already approved therapies in pulmonary, renal and cerebrovascular indications. Endothelin pathway is upregulated in a wide range of ocular diseases, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and retinal vein occlusion.
Perfuse believes that the therapeutic benefits of blocking pathological endothelin signaling will provide significant clinical benefit for patients suffering from ocular diseases driven by ischemia.
