Cytoprotection—A Novel Therapeutic Approach

Every clinically relevant insult not only causes cellular injury, but also induces a counteracting endogenous machinery: the cellular stress response. This cytoprotective mechanism has been genetically optimized during evolution in order to protect cells in all organisms against injurious conditions.

However, research by Zytoprotec has provided clear evidence that in clinically relevant diseases the cellular responses, particularly the expression of heat shock proteins, are often inadequate.

Using peritoneal dialysis (PD) as a model disease, Zytoprotec has also demonstrated that interventions with cytoprotective compounds can restore the cellular stress response, and thus protect cellular integrity.