Coya Therapeutics publishes new research study on progression of Parkinson’s

Coya Therapeutics (COYA) announced the publication of a new research study, partially funded by Coya. The study, led by Aaron Thome, a scientific advisor to Coya, and Stanley Appel, the chairperson of Coya’s scientific advisory board, explores the role of immune dysfunction in the pathogenesis of PD. It was published in the scientific journal Frontiers of Immunology, which can be accessed here. Upregulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 and interleukin 1 beta transcripts was observed in PD monocytes compared to control monocytes, and its expression increased with advanced stages of PD. The chemokine receptor C-C receptor type 2, which facilitates monocyte migration to sites of inflammation, was upregulated in PD monocytes compared to controls. Additionally, CCR2 expression was increased in early PD and continued to rise with advancing disease stages. Transcripts of the mannose receptor, a marker of alternatively activated myeloid cells, were upregulated in early-stage PD monocytes but declined with disease progression, resulting in decreased expression in late-stage disease. CD163, a scavenger receptor associated with immunoregulation and protection from oxidative stress, was increased in monocytes from PD patients. CD163 transcripts were low in early-stage PD but increased with disease progression. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha, an important transcriptional activator, exhibited a slight but non-significant increase in early-stage PD monocytes. However, its transcript levels progressively declined as the disease advanced. Glutathione peroxidase 4, an antioxidant enzyme implicated in PD, was elevated in PD monocytes compared to controls. When stratified by disease stage, GPX4 expression increased early but declined in later stages of disease. Sirtuin 1 and Sirtuin 3 are NAD-dependent deacetylases with critical roles in oxidative stress responses, mitochondrial regulation, and inflammation. SIRT1 transcripts were upregulated in PD monocytes relative to controls; expression increased during early and intermediate disease stages but declined with disease progression. Conversely, SIRT3 transcripts were reduced in PD monocytes, with early stage decreases that became more pronounced as disease advanced.