Mechanism of Action (MOA) Studies
Creative Biolabs offers a full suite of services to help pharmaceutical and biotech companies accelerate their preclinical discovery and development. Based on our extensive experience and advanced platforms, now we provide tailored mechanism of action (MOA) study services for our clients all over the world.
Introduction to Mechanism of Action (MOA) Study
Mechanism of action (MOA) in pharmacology and toxicology generally refers to the interactions or alterations at the cellular or molecular level involved in the process of drugs exerting pharmacodynamic or toxic effects on the organisms. Some studies showed that target identification and mechanism of action (MOA) study are essential in the drug discovery process. Till now, a series of methods and technologies have been developed for MOA study, including microscopy-based methods, direct biochemical methods, computation inference methods, omics-based methods, etc.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurologic disease that causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to die. In general, AD presents 3 different phases: preclinical phase, prodromal phase, and dementia phase. The appearance of extracellular amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques, neuronal death, loss of synapses, as well as neurofibrillary tangles in the intracellular environment are classical features of AD. An excessive amount of Aβ peptide in the brain has been responsible for AD-related pathologies. In addition, abnormal Tau phosphorylation may result in the formation of abnormal neurofibrillary structures.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second more common neurodegenerative disease that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements. The selective neuronal death in substantia nigra pars compacta is an important discovery in PD pathophysiology. Adeno-associated viruses (AAV)-based gene therapies against PD have been developed focusing on restoration of dopamine synthesis, neuroprotection, genetic neuromodulation, as well as resolution of disease-specific pathogenic variants. Moreover, the aggregation and accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a pathological hallmark of PD.
Fig.1 Potential neuroprotective mechanisms of novel targeted therapies in Parkinson's disease. (Ntetsika, 2021)
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal genetic disorder characterized by the expression of mutant huntingtin (HTT) protein. The current treatment strategy is to reduce HTT levels to slow or stop disease progression in HD patients. Studies have shown that antisense oligonucleotide-mediated partial reduction of HTT is safe and well-tolerated.
Applications of MOA Study
- Evaluation of drug toxicology and safety
- Determination of drug dosage
- Identification of other indications for the approved drugs
- New drug combinations to reduce the likelihood of drug resistance
- Monitor drug effects on target pathways with real-time dosing
- Determine the most effective treatment option for the patients
Creative Biolabs has been a long-term expert in the field of drug discovery. We are pleased to use our extensive experience and advanced platform to offer qualified products and services to satisfy diverse demands from our customers. If you are interested in our services and products, please do not hesitate to contact us for more details.
Reference
- Ntetsika, T.; et al. Novel targeted therapies for Parkinson's disease. Molecular Medicine. 2021, 27(1): 1-20.
