SetPoint Medical is dedicated to treating patients with debilitating inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn's Disease and rheumatoid arthritis, using proprietary implantable neuromodulation devices.
The scientific platform is based on the Inflammatory Reflex—the natural mechanism by which the central nervous system regulates the immune system. This mechanism was discovered by SetPoint co-founder Kevin Tracey and published in Nature in May 2000. Since then, the Inflammatory Reflex has been characterized in more than 100 peer reviewed papers in leading scientific journals. Anti-inflammatory potency comparable to leading drugs has been demonstrated in multiple animal models. The company is currently conducting human trials in rheumatoid arthritis at four European centers.
SetPoint's microregulator is designed to supplement the body's natural Inflammatory Reflex by providing 'built-in' therapy at a lower cost and is intended to improve safety compared with drugs or biologic solutions.
The Inflammatory Reflex
Inflammation plays a significant role in acute and chronic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), psoriasis, diabetes, heart disease, and multiple sclerosis.
SetPoint co-founder Kevin Tracey and his colleagues discovered and characterized the Inflammatory Reflex, which is a neurophysiological mechanism that regulates the body's immune system. The Inflammatory Reflex senses infection, tissue injury and inflammation and relays this information to the central nervous system, which then reflexively increases neural signaling peripherally through the vagus nerve and splenic nerve that extensively innervate the spleen and other visceral organs. The signal is transmitted to a novel population of T cells in the spleen, which in turn direct effector cells including monocytes and macrophages to reduce their production of the mediators that initiate and perpetuate inflammation.
Dr. Tracey published his findings in Nature in May 2000. Since then, the Inflammatory Reflex has been characterized by his group and others in more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journals, exploring the potential of activating the Inflammatory Reflex to alleviate inflammation. Dr. Tracey co-founded SetPoint Medical with Dr. Shaw Warren to leverage these discoveries in developing new therapies to treat chronic inflammatory diseases.
Source: setpointmedical.com
