NIH awards grant to MetaPhore Pharmaceuticals to study novel pain ...( erapy. Dr. Salvemini received her Ph....),Health

Dr. Salvemini received her Ph.D. under the mentorship of Sir John Vane (winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work in the field of pain and inflammation) and worked at Monsanto/Searle before joining MetaPhore. She will be joined in this collaborative effort by Dr Frank Porreca, Professor of Pharmacology and Anesthesiology at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, a recognized expert in pain research who has worked closely with innovative chemistry in efforts aimed at the development of novel therapies for pain. Other members of the research team include Dr. Dennis Riley of MetaPhore and Dr. Micheal Ossipov of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center.

Background on Free Radicals, SOD and MetaPhore's SOD Mimic

The formation of free radicals is a naturally occurring process. An excess of these reactive oxygen-derived molecules damages cell structure and even genes -- much like oxidation causes metal to rust. This type of progressive damage has become increasingly linked to several diseases and conditions, particularly those associated with aging such as auto-immune disorders like Parkinson's and rheumatoid arthritis, multiple types of cancer, as well as pain and inflammation.

The SOD enzyme, which is an essential protein mapped in the body's DNA, removes free radicals by converting the undesirable superoxide molecules into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. This product of SOD's catalytic action also has potential benefits that complement those of free radical removal. Hydrogen peroxide has been shown to be critical to the functioning of white blood cells in killing foreign bacteria.

"SOD mimetics have major medical potential, based on the growing body of antioxidant and disease research. For more than twenty years, we have understood the free radical fighting power of the body's natural SOD enzyme, but until recently, we have been unable to reproduce the beneficial effect in a stable and selective drug f
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Contact: Emily Ross
eross@kupperparker.com
314-290-2156
Kupper Parker Communications
17-Sep-2000