Nitrase Therapeutics was founded by Irene Griswold-Prenner, Ph.D., our Chief Executive Officer. By exploring the biological mechanism that led to the death of neurons in Parkinson’s disease, Irene was particularly intrigued by how oxidative stress might impact disease onset and progression and the role of nitration. At the time, it was widely thought that nitration was a chemically random process, like oxidation. Yet, based on her background and early research, she found a pattern of substrates nitrated in particular diseases. Specifically, the same proteins were nitrated in a variety of models of Parkinson’s disease. Through additional research, she determined that this type of specificity was actually an enzymatically-controlled reaction and implicated in disease manifestation. That discovery led to the identification of a protein with this enzymatic activity (a “nitrase”), and the company was born.

Our approach is groundbreaking and highly differentiated because we are the pioneers and discoverers of nitrases, and we have unique insights into the mechanism of action and potential therapeutic applications of nitrases.