Ingestible Carbon Monoxide-Loaded Foams to Treat Inflammation

Currently it is estimated that six in ten adults in the US have a chronic disease, which range from diabetes to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) to arthritis. These inflammatory diseases are typically caused by autoimmune responses, where the immune system targets normal cells as foreign matter, resulting in an upregulation of inflammatory cytokines. A new method to treat inflammation includes administering low levels of carbon monoxide (CO), which causes activation of the Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene that results in anti-inflammatory cytokine production downstream. Current carbon monoxide treatments are limited by physiologic differences between patients, liabilities of CO tanks in hospitals, and transition metals with toxicity limits from carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMs). As such, we developed a carbon monoxide foam that has a high level of carbon monoxide encapsulation compared to other CO containing systems. Carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb), a marker of CO exposure, was measured after dosage of carbon monoxide through varying foam formulation, as well as the pressure within the loading canister. There was a significant increase in CO-Hb in mice, pigs, and rats, as well as effective treatment of Acetaminophen induced acute liver injury (APAP) in mice, and positive results in treatment of DSS- colitis model compared to non-treated mice. Our carbon monoxide systems have a higher encapsulation rate of carbon monoxide, which allows for a smaller total volume of treatment, and a controlled rate of gas release and gas encapsulation through formulation changes, as well as targeted delivery to either the rectum or mouth.