Sigyn Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: SIGY) announced today the launch of an initiative to evaluate emerging medical technologies in former NFL players at risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The company, developer of CardioDialysis, a medical device designed to remove inflammatory and pathogenic molecules from the bloodstream, aims to address the high rates of neurodegenerative diseases among former players, including ALS, Parkinson’s disease, and CTE.
Recent research from Trinity College Dublin revealed that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can be compromised by chronic inflammation and remain leaky for decades after an athlete retires from sports involving repetitive head trauma. This allows inflammatory molecules to enter the brain, triggering neuroinflammation and accelerating tau-protein accumulation, a hallmark of CTE. Based on these findings, many former NFL players may live in a persistent state of hyper-inflammation increasing their CTE risk.
The initiative will evaluate the feasibility of CardioDialysis, an extracorporeal blood purification technology that integrates plasma separation and therapeutic adsorption into a single device. It targets inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6, as well as bacterial endotoxin, all of which are key contributors to CTE progression. The device aims to break the chronic self-perpetuating loop of neuroinflammation by reducing these molecules in the bloodstream.
Additionally, the initiative will assess blood-based neuron-derived exosome assays to monitor CTE progression and response to therapies, and evaluate other candidate therapies including a tau vaccine and a brain-delivered anti-inflammatory drug agent.
“Based on my previous participation in two landmark studies of CTE in former NFL players, the knowledge that the brains of collision sport athletes can remain permeable for decades opens the door to new strategies to diagnose CTE in the living and for treating the disease through a targeted control of inflammation,” said Jim Joyce, CEO of Sigyn Therapeutics.
CardioDialysis is the first therapy to combine plasma separation and therapeutic adsorption in a single device, offering potential applications beyond CTE, including sepsis, life-threatening viral infections, and cardiovascular disease. The company also has a development pipeline comprising ImmunePrep, ChemoPrep, and ChemoPure.
To learn more, visit www.SigynTherapeutics.com.
