Developing a DNase-based therapeutics and biomarker strategy for clinical trials

As Head of Discovery at Neutrolis, I led the work that validated mechanistic proof of concept for a DNase-based therapy. That effort went hand in hand with building a biomarker pipeline for patient stratification, disease diagnosis and therapeutic administration.

Many immune-triggered diseases, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, dry eye disease, and even some stroke pathologies, are driven by neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). When these structures accumulate, they damage the tissues and, in lupus, cause disease flares. Our therapeutic approach focuses on breaking down NETs, addressing the disease at its root cause.

The biomarkers we developed track the presence of NETs and the tissue damage they cause. They are used to stratify patients and follow therapeutic response over time. In parallel, we developed and validated a portable, cell-free biomarker detection system designed to support point-of-care clinical diagnosis.