Producing a state of "hibernation on demand" in mice by administering an experimental drug from Ikaria (an injectable formulation of the biological gas hydrogen sulfide) showed promise in a study designed to reduce damage from heart attacks.
The study was published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The preclinical study, conducted by researchers at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the University of Alabama, was funded in part by Ikaria and examined whether hydrogen sulfide could prevent "reperfusion injury" -- caused when blood flow and oxygen supply to heart tissue plummet during a heart attack, then are abruptly restored when the heart attack is treated. This dramatic change in oxygen levels can be heavily damaging to the heart.
"Over the last few years, a number of reports have demonstrated the protective effects of hydrogen sulfide in various models of cardiovascular disease and inflammation," said Csaba Szabo, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Ikaria and a study co-author. "This study can be considered a milestone not only because it defines the significant therapeutic potential of hydrogen sulfide during heart attacks, but also because it links these therapeutic effects to hydrogen sulfide-induced on-demand metabolic modulation, a new field of biological research championed by Ikaria."
The senior study author was David Lefer of Albert Einstein College of Medicine's department of pathology and the division of cardiology within Albert Einstein's department of medicine.
While hydrogen sulfide is more commonly known as a toxic gas when it occurs at high levels, it has demonstrated a biologically protective role when delivered in very low doses, Dr. Szabo said. Ikaria has submitted regulatory documents and is expected to start a Phase I trial later this year.
"The development of hydrogen sulfide as an ethical pharmaceutical may offer exciting new opportunities in the treatment of cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases," said David Shaw, chairman and CEO of Ikaria. "We are encouraged by the compelling results of this and other studies of our product as part of our overall efforts to improve outcomes for critically ill patients."