Company targets clinical trials of drug targeting key inflammatory processes that drive neurodegenerative diseases.
US biotech MindImmune Therapeutics has secured a $5 million investment from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation to advance development of its lead therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer’s disease, a drug designed to target immune pathways linked to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
While most Alzheimer’s drug development has focused on proteins such as amyloid and tau, the Cambridge, MA–based company instead concentrates on immune activity outside the brain and its potential influence on neurodegeneration. Its lead program, MITI-101, aims to address inflammatory processes that are seen as a significant driver of Alzheimer’s progression.
Founded by renowned neuroscientist Dr Stevin Zorn, MindImmune was built on the idea that immune system behavior beyond the central nervous system plays a critical role in the disease process.
“Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most urgent and complex challenges in medicine,” said Zorn. “This support from the ADDF empowers us to push the boundaries of immune biology in neurodegeneration and rapidly advance MITI-101 toward the clinic. We are building on a compelling body of science with the potential to redefine how we treat this devastating disease.”
Zorn’s research found that certain innate immune cells originating in the bloodstream can migrate into the brain in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Once inside the brain, these cells appear to cluster around amyloid plaques and contribute to inflammatory responses that damage synapses, the connections between neurons that are essential for communication within the brain. This inflammatory activity is believed to contribute both to cognitive symptoms and to the longer-term deterioration seen in Alzheimer’s.
MindImmune’s approach seeks to intervene earlier in this cascade. Rather than attempting to remove pathological proteins after they accumulate in the brain, the company is targeting the peripheral immune signals that allow inflammatory cells to enter the central nervous system in the first place. MITI-101 is engineered to neutralize CD11c, a marker found on a subset of innate immune cells associated with inflammatory responses in neurodegenerative disease. By blocking CD11c in the bloodstream, the antibody is intended to prevent these cells from migrating into the brain, where they can amplify inflammatory processes and contribute to synaptic damage.
According to the company, preclinical studies conducted in mouse models indicate that eliminating or blocking the migration of CD11c-positive immune cells reduces biological indicators associated with synaptic deterioration. The findings have helped shape the company’s strategy of targeting immune activity before it reaches the brain.
MindImmune said the ADDF funding will support the completion of translational studies needed to advance MITI-101 toward regulatory review. The company plans to use the investment to prepare an investigational new drug application and to lay the groundwork for early-stage clinical development. The new funding follows last year’s $10.2 million Series A extension, bringing the total amount raised in that round to $30 million.
“This funding will support IND-enabling activities, including manufacturing and toxicology studies, as we prepare to enter human clinical trials later this year,” MindImmune CEO Isaac Stoner told us. “The ADDF has followed our progress for years and recognizes the enormous potential of this therapeutic strategy.”
Beyond Alzheimer’s disease, the company is also investigating how similar immune mechanisms may influence other neurodegenerative disorders and chronic inflammatory conditions. Its research is focused on understanding how specific immune pathways interact with nervous system pathology and whether selectively interrupting those pathways can help restore or preserve neural function.
