Our Science

Pharmacology as Complex as the Diseases We Treat

Antiapoptotic activity

Effects
Apoptosis ↓
Cell targets: neutrophil, lymphocytes
Associated mediators
VEGF, HGF, IGF, FGF, TGF-β, Nrf2, HIF, HO-1, IL-6

Pro-angiogenic activity

Effects
Neovascularization ↑
Angiogenesis ↑
↓ O–O | ↑ ROS | HO-1
Associated mediators
VEGF, FGF-2, HGF, SDF-1, TGF-β, PDGF, ANG1, MCP-1
nCPC
STM-01
Secretome
STM-21

Immunomodulatory activity

Cell type Directional effect
B cell Immunoglobulin synthesis ↓
T cell T cell alloantigen-dependent
proliferation inhibition ↓
T regulatory cells Polarization ↑
Dendritic cell Differentiation from peripheral
blood monocytes ↓
Natural killer cell Cytotoxic activity / proliferation ↓
M2 macrophage Cytotoxic activity / proliferation ↑
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Pipeline

Explore Our Innovative Pipeline

Clinical
Preclinical
Milestone
Product
Indication
Phase
STM-01
HFpEF
Phase 1
1H262H261H272H271H282H28
Topline Data
STM-01
DCM
Phase 1
1H262H261H272H271H282H28
Topline Data
STM-01
DMD-CM
Phase 2
1H262H261H272H271H282H28
FPFV
12M Topline Data
STM-01
DMD-CM
Phase 3
1H262H261H272H271H282H28
FPFV
Topline Data
STM-04
DCM
Preclinical
1H262H261H272H271H282H28
Topline Data
STM-05
DCM
Preclinical
1H262H261H272H271H282H28
Topline Data
FPFV = First Patient First Visit
HFpEF = Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction
DCM = Dilated Cardiomyopathy
DMD-CM = Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Cardiomyopathy
CKD = Chronic Kidney Disease
Platform

Secretome Therapeutics is developing investigational therapies derived from neonatal cardiac progenitor and stromal cell biology.

In preclinical models, neonatal cardiac-derived cells and their secretome (including extracellular vesicles such as exosomes) have been associated with coordinated biological activities relevant to tissue injury, including immunomodulation, pro-angiogenic signaling, anti-apoptotic effects, and attenuation of fibrotic remodeling.

Across multiple studies in cardiac injury models, neonatal cardiac-derived cell populations and their secretome have been linked to improvements in echocardiographic measures of left ventricular function, reductions in fibrosis, and shifts in immune cell profiles consistent with a pro-repair environment, including increased regulatory T cells and tissue-reparative macrophage phenotypes.

Platform & Pipeline

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe genetic disease characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. Patient advocacy groups estimate that approximately 15,000 individuals are living with Duchenne in the United States. Cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with DMD. Despite advances in standards of care, there remains a significant unmet need for therapies that directly address progressive cardiac dysfunction in DMD.

STM-01

Investigational

A neonatal cardiac progenitor / cardiac-derived cell therapy in clinical development for heart failure indications, including HFpEF and DCM.

STM-21

Investigational

A cell-free program based on components of the STM-01 secretome, including extracellular vesicles/exosomes, with the goal of translating key paracrine biology into a product candidate.

STM-03

Investigational

A next-generation engineered-cell program under development for cardiac and other serious conditions.

Lead indication focus: DMD-associated cardiomyopathy (DMD-CM)

In published preclinical cardiac injury studies, neonatal cardiac-derived cell populations and their secretome have been associated with:

Improvements in left
ventricular function

Immunomodulatory effects including increased regulatory T cells.

These observations support continued evaluation of our platform biology in conditions where preservation of cardiac function is critical.

Publications

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

Circulating exosomes derived from transplanted progenitor cells aid the functional recovery of ischemic myocardium

Science Translational Medicine. 2019;11:eaau1168.

In a xenogeneic rodent myocardial infarction model, cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) demonstrated greater functional recovery compared with cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), including improvements in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The study further characterized circulating CPC-derived exosomes and their microRNA cargo as potential mediators of myocardial recovery.

A Deep Proteome Analysis Identifies the Complete Secretome as the Functional Unit of Human Cardiac Progenitor Cells

Circulation Research. 2017;120:816–834.

This study compared neonatal and adult cardiac progenitor cells (nCPCs and aCPCs) in preclinical myocardial infarction models and reported enhanced recovery of cardiac function parameters, including LVEF, with neonatal cells. Comprehensive proteomic analysis identified distinct secretome profiles and upstream regulatory pathways that may contribute to functional differences between neonatal and adult CPCs.

Comparative efficacy and mechanism of action of cardiac progenitor cells after cardiac injury

iScience. 2022;25:104656.

In head-to-head preclinical comparisons across multiple clinically relevant stem and progenitor cell populations, neonatal cardiac-derived cells demonstrated greater improvements in cardiac functional parameters, reduced fibrosis, and modulation of immune cell populations, including increased regulatory T cells. Mechanistic analyses identified pathways influencing cell retention, immune evasion, and secretome composition.

Important notice: Product candidates are investigational. References to preclinical or clinical studies are provided for scientific information only. No product candidate has been approved by the FDA or any other regulatory authority.