General Biophysics to Explore Therapeutic Potential of Xenon Gas for Neurological Diseases

General Biophysics (GB) is hoping to employ a unique method to treat Alzheimer’s Disease. Ilya Ilin, GB’s CEO, spoke to MD+DI to about how the company is realizing the potential of xenon gas and the development of the firm’s gas concentration monitor.

The company will be an exhibitor during MEDevice Boston this week.

Let’s talk a little bit about General Biophysics. When was the company formed and what led to its formation? What is the primary problem you’re trying to solve with your technology?

 Ilin: General Biophysics story started in 2008, as a research project aimed at enhancing seafood frozen preservation. The initial discovery that sparked our interest was the use of xenon gas as a cryopreservative, which proved to improve the quality of frozen food products. This venture led us on a path of deeper scientific understanding of biological properties of xenon gas first for tissue and blood products preservation (platelets, bone marrow, RBCs) and then to therapeutic applications.

General Biophysics was formed in 2017 to focus on the medical potential of xenon gas, particularly in treating neurodegenerative diseases. The primary problem we aim to solve is the lack of effective treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's, which require complex approaches including addressing neuroinflammation. 

I understand you’re trying to explore the therapeutic potential of xenon gas. Can you talk a little bit about xenon gas and what it could potentially be used to help treat? Could you also talk a little bit about its properties? 

Ilin: Xenon gas is a noble gas used in lights, electronics, lasers, medicine, etc. With an excellent safety profile, it is known for its anesthesia properties, but its potential extends far beyond. Its multitarget action explains the impact of a variety of biological cascades in the disease conditions.

We are exploring its therapeutic effects to modulate immune response in the brain, particularly targeting microglial cells and astrocytes involved in neuroinflammation associated with Alzheimer's (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Xenon is expensive and its delivery to patients via inhalation requires special closed-circuit equipment, accurate dosing, and gas recovery. At GB we are developing these technologies to make xenon inhalation therapy feasible in hospital and outpatient settings.

I want to talk briefly about the company’s gas concentration monitor. How does the monitor work and what can it be used for? 

Ilin: Xenon gas is not reactive and difficult to detect. Our gas concentration monitor is a pivotal development in our technology suite and is available for purchase. This device uses advanced thermal conductivity technology to provide real-time, accurate readings of gas concentrations, which is crucial for administering precise therapeutic doses. The system can be calibrated for different gases, and therefore can be a universal tool for medical equipment or manufacturing processes. The monitor's capability extends beyond medical applications; it is also suited for industrial use where gas purity and mixture accuracy are necessary. For example, in the semiconductor industry, precise gas mixtures are essential for manufacturing processes. Our technology includes two models of gas concentration monitors, tailored for different applications but unified by their precision and real-time measurement capabilities.

Have you received any funding or support in the form of grants or venture capital to help advance the company’s mission? If so, could you talk about those here? 

Ilin: GB is funded internally and received several NIH grants. We work with the National Institute of Aging and the National Institute of Drug Abuse. In collaboration with Brigham Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School we are preparing to launch this fall a clinical trial exploring the therapeutic potential of xenon gas for neurodegeneration. 

 In your field, what kinds of trends are you seeing in the industry? 

Ilin: Complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s require multitarget therapeutic approaches. It can be achieved with combinational therapies or utilizing medical agents with multitarget action. Xenon gas appears to act on different targets, and our research showed that management of the brain immune system leads not only to a reduction in inflammation but also to reduction in amyloid-betta plaques in AD  disease models.

Additionally, the push towards keeping the cost of healthcare in check has highlighted the importance of therapies that can be administered in outpatient settings by trained nurses and technicians versus experienced medical doctors.

Therefore, it is important to develop administration systems that can provide precise automatic control of the treatment protocol, are easy to use, safe to use and can preserve expensive therapeutic agents. Our ongoing development of an inhalation machine with a portable gas recovery system exemplifies this commitment.