Enzyme therapy is the use of enzymes to treat deficiencies and other medical conditions in the body. An enzyme is a macromolecule that catalyzes (speeds up) processes in the body. Enzymes help to digest food, break down toxins, cleanse the blood, strengthen the immune system, build protein into muscle, contract muscles, eliminate carbon dioxide from the lungs and reduce stress on the pancreas and other vital organs. Enzyme therapy has a wide variety of proposed medical uses, ranging from the treatment of cystic fibrosis and pancreatic insufficiency, to certain cancers or tumors. The therapy may be systemic or non-systemic, and may be administered via multiple routes of administration, most often orally, topically or intravenously.
Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), a subdivision of enzyme therapy, is a medical treatment replacing an enzyme in patients in whom that particular enzyme is deficient or absent. Usually this is done by giving the patient an intravenous (IV) infusion containing the enzyme. Enzyme replacement therapy is currently available for some lysosomal diseases: Gaucher disease, Fabry disease, MPS I, MPS II (Hunter syndrome), MPS VI and Glycogen storage disease type II.
Enzyme replacement therapy does not correct the underlying genetic defect, but increases the concentration of enzyme in which the patient is deficient.
In Pompe disease the ERT replaces the deficient lysosomal enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA).
Additionally, there are various digestive enzymes on the market, which can be taken orally.
Dyadic believes that the C1 technology may be able to help in the development and manufacturing of certain enzymes that have the potential to advance life-enhancing therapies including Enzyme replacement Therapies, as well as new potential emerging enzyme technologies that may help in modifying certain amino acid profiles that may be associated with certain medical conditions.