At NervGen, the Solution Lies in the Extracellular Matrix
Core Protein (ACAN)
Link protein
Chondroitin sulfate
Keratan sulfate
Hyaluronic acid backbone
Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans (CSPGs)
During development of the nervous system, CSPGs guide the formation of neural connections. As the central nervous system matures, they settle into perineuronal nets, specialized structures that stabilize synaptic activity.
After injury, however, CSPG production surges. What once helped build the nervous system now prevents it from repairing itself.
The Glial Scar
After nervous system damage, the body mounts a defense. Reactive astrocytes form a glial scar, a dense molecular barrier around the damaged tissue. The protective nature of the glial scar comes at a long-term cost, upregulating the production of CSPGs, an inhibitor of axonal growth.
NVG-291: A New Class of Medicine
The key to modulating CSPG inhibition lies in the neuronal receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (PTPσ). NVG-291 is a first-in-class peptide mimetic of the PTPσ wedge domain, designed to unlock the nervous system’s ability to reform neural connections and restore lost function.
Before NVG-291
CSPGs
+ NVG-291
After NVG-291
CSPGs
Thoracic & Lumbar 5-HT Staining at 12 Weeks Post-Injury
Thoracic Spinal Cord: Axonal Sprouting
Vehicle
Lesion
Above Injury
Below Injury
NVG-291-R
Lesion
Vehicle
NVG-291-R
Control
NVG-291-R Treated
Beyond Spinal Cord Injury
The CSPG-PTPσ pathway is not unique to spinal cord injury. CSPG upregulation is conserved across a wide range of neurotraumatic injuries and neurologic conditions.
Wherever CSPGs accumulate, they block endogenous repair processes. This conserved mechanism allows for NVG-291’s approach to potentially extend well beyond a single condition as a pipeline in a product.
Publications in Scientific Journals
Alterations in chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan expression occur both at and far from the site of spinal contusion injury.
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Experimental Neurology. Andrews, E.M., Richards, R.J., Yin, F.Q., Viapiano, M.S., Jakeman, L.B., 2012; 235, 174–187.
The Future of Neurorepair Has Begun. Be Part of What Comes Next.