A2a Adenosine Receptors and Equine Sepsis

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: This is a phase I SBIR proposal by Adenosine Therapeutics for 6 months of support to synthesize and evaluate novel compounds as agonists of equine A2A adenosine receptors. Some of these compounds have been found to be very effective in reducing rodent mortality form endotoxin or from E. coli-induced sepsis. Circulating endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) is correlated with the probability of death in horses of all ages (colic in adult horses; septicemia in neonates). These studies have the potential of producing a new therapy of horse sepsis and colic that are devastating equine diseases. Our goal is to develop new therapies for the treatment of equine sepsis and colic. Such new therapies have excellent commercial potential since these diseases occur in tens of thousands of horses annually and these animals have a poor prognosis. Preliminary studies in rodents indicate that this new type of therapy is highly effective in reducing the severity of septic inflammation and drastically reduces the frequency of mortality.