In an agreement with Rice University, Fannin Innovation Studio, an early-stage life sciences commercialization group, formed Acelerox, LLC. to address development of a novel nanoparticle-based antioxidant therapy potentially relevant in several disease areas. Organzied around therapies for reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated disease. ROS has been implicated in the progression of a broad range of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury. The companys proprietary class of molecules - PEG-HCCs - can be used to directly treat the symptoms of these diseases as well as to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs into tumors. PEG-HCCs are different from known existing therapeutic antioxidants in that they: > preferentially scavenge SO and hydroxyl radicals; exhibit potent yet selective antioxidant activity; do not react with nitric oxide (an important signaling molecule for normal cell function) ; do not pass radicals onto other molecules; are bioavailable; exhibit low toxicity in rodents; do not rapidly inactiveta nd do not require assistance from auxiliary molecules.
