Targeted pill that blocks an immune-cell enzyme to ease Crohn's disease
Development of a Novel, Targeted Small Molecule Inhibitor of the Nucleoside Salvage Pathway to Treat Crohn's disease
This work is developing a new pill called TRE-515 that blocks an enzyme in immune cells to lower gut inflammation in people with Crohn's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Trethera Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Sherman Oaks, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11250446 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join this work, you would be offered TRE-515, a small oral drug that blocks deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), an enzyme that helps immune cells multiply during inflammation. By slowing immune cell growth, the drug aims to reduce the immune attack on the gut that causes Crohn's symptoms like pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. Researchers can use PET scans with special tracers to measure dCK activity in lymphoid tissues, and TRE-515 is already being tested in early human trials for cancer. The project combines lab studies, imaging, and early clinical testing to see whether targeting this pathway is safe and helpful for people with Crohn's disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with active moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease, especially those who have not responded to or cannot tolerate current therapies, would be the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People whose Crohn's is well controlled, whose disease is driven by non-lymphocyte factors, or groups typically excluded from early trials (for example children or pregnant people) may not receive benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower gut inflammation and symptoms with a more targeted action and possibly fewer systemic side effects than some existing treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Targeting immune-cell metabolism has shown promise in preclinical autoimmune models and TRE-515 is novel and already in Phase 1 cancer trials, but clinical proof of benefit in Crohn's disease is still limited.
Where this research is happening
Sherman Oaks, United States
- Trethera Corporation — Sherman Oaks, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schultz, Kenneth — Trethera Corporation
- Study coordinator: Schultz, Kenneth
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.