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news.In collaboration with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, ARCH Venture Partners has announced the formation of Ikaria, a new biotechnology company focusing on the exploitation of hibernation techniques for critical illness.
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A group of early life science companies; ARCH Venture Partners, Venrock Associates, 5AM Ventures, Aravis Ventures and the Washington Research Foundation, have committed approximately $10 million to the project which will utilize the research of Dr Mark Roth, a basic sciences researcher at the Hutchinson Center.
Dr Roth and colleagues have been working on creating a state of suspended animation in mice. By administering hydrogen sulfide the researchers have been able to induce a state similar to that of hibernation in the rodent subjects. The animals’ oxygen consumption is reduced, they experience a lower body temperature and breathing is slowed.
Ikaria, which will be based in Seattle, hopes to develop commercial applications for reversible metabolic control technology using the current research.
It is believed inducing hibernation on demand may have the potential to lengthen the window of time that patients with trauma, stroke, cardiac arrest or surgery can be treated. This will help prevent injury and death from insufficient or inappropriate oxygen supply to organs and tissues. It can also increase the time that organs or tissues for transplant are viable outside the body during transportation over long distances.
“Dr Roth has developed exciting technology with a significant potential to advance the field of medicine and the treatment of patients,” said chairman Vaughn Kailian, managing partner of Deerhaven Partners, board chairman of ViaCell and Elixir Pharmaceuticals. “We look forward to seeing this new technology through development and into clinical practice where we believe it will yield great benefits.”
Ikaria will have the advantage of Roth’s continuing research combined with some high profile names from biotechnology on their board of directors.
However, the research is still in its infancy. It is unlikely to be clinically applicable for some years and will then have to prove it doesn’t lead to brain damage, alter the blood’s ability to clot, or diminish patients ability to fight off infections; considerations noted in previous hypothermia studies.