TREM-1 inhibitors for the treatment of vaso-occlusions and tissue injuries in patients suffering from sickle cell disease

Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a single gene disorder characterized by mutant hemoglobin-S (HbS) and chronic intravascular haemolysis. Painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) are typical of SCD and often associated to a further rise in hemolysis. VOC is the clinically painful form of vaso-occlusion, that is due to the aggregation of red blood cells in the capillaries and venules. Such event is promoted or aggravated by adhesion of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) to red blood cells and the endothelium leading to tissue ischemia, inflammation and imperfect repair. Repeated vaso-occlusion and PMNs interactions with the vascular endothelium are thought to promote microvascular injuries in SCD patients. The inventors tested the effect of pharmacological inhibition of TREM-1 with LR12 peptide in two experimental vaso-occlusive crisis models. Additional validation of TREM-1 involvement in vaso-occlusion was verified using mice with sickle cell disease and Trem-1 gene deficiency. In particular, the inventors showed that TREM-1 inhibition is particular suitable for limiting the severity of vaso-occlusions. The results obtained by the inventors also suggest that plasmatic concentration of sTREM-1 could be a reliable biomarker for predicting vaso-occlusions and/or SCD-associated organ dysfunction and end-organ damage.

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