Imperial College London has entered into a strategic multi-year collaboration with clinical-stage company Heptares to develop new treatments for gastrointestinal conditions, the institution said on Wednesday.
The partners hope to accelerate discovery and translational research centred on multiple new and existing G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) disease target prospects associated with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Gastrointestinal disease is the third most common cause of death in the UK. The GI tract is the largest endocrine organ in the body and is responsible for the production of multiple hormones. These trigger a diverse range of GPRCs located inside the GI tract and throughout the body.
The collaboration aims to capitalise on the noteworthy recent progress towards understanding how GPCRs in the GI tract can be modulated. The research will also bolster the application of Heptares' structure-based methods to progress novel treatments for GI disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Professor Jonathan Weber, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London, said: "We hope this new partnership between Imperial and industry researchers will bring great benefits to science and public health.
"Breakthroughs in this field could ultimately help to the improve quality of life for patients living with inflammatory bowel disease, which affects more than half a million people in the UK alone."
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