NCI Funds Development Of Chrysalis’ Brain Tissue Damage Treatment

The National Cancer Institute awarded Chrysalis BioTherapeutics a $1.5 million contract to continue development of Chrysalin® to mitigate radiotherapy-induced damage to normal brain tissue. The project is a collaboration between Chrysalis, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).

Chrysalin is a naturally occurring regenerative peptide that is being developed by Chrysalis under worldwide license from UTMB to alleviate effects of nuclear radiation and radiotherapy. According to Chrysalis, preclinical results indicate that Chrysalin treatment restores radiation-damaged neural integrity and promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

Darrell H. Carney, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Chrysalis and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UTMB, originally developed Chrysalin, which he says has been tested in human clinical trials-;dermal healing and bone fracture repair-;with no adverse side effects.

The primary focus of Dr. Carney's research at UTMB is to understand the molecular regulation of thrombin receptor expression, the signaling pathways used in thrombin-stimulated mitogenesis and chemotaxis, and the role of thrombin and thrombin receptors in the regulation of inflammation and wound healing.

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