Bulbar Palsy
At the moment, there are no effective treatments for bulbar palsy because of the stubborn degeneration or damage to the neurons in the brain stem. Leveraging our deep understanding in advanced therapy development for bulbar palsy, Protheragen is optimally positioned to go beyond providing custom solutions and comprehensive support from bulbar palsy therapy research toward commercialization.
Overview of Bulbar Palsy
Bulbar palsy is a lower motor neuron (LMN) disorder stemming from progressive dysfunction of XII, X, XI, and IX cranial nerves resulting in dysarthria and dysphagia alongside facial and tongue weakness. It differs from pseudobulbar palsy (UMN lesion) in that it shows flaccid paralysis with fasciculations, absent reflexes, but no emotional lability. This condition stems from various causes of injury to brainstem motor nuclei or their peripheral axons.
Fig.1 The twelve cranial nerves. (Thakur K T, et al., 2016)
Pathogenesis of Bulbar Palsy
The selective degeneration of lower motor neurons (LMN) in the brainstem nuclei associated with cranial nerves IX-XII leads to bulbar palsy. Possible causes include neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and vascular diseases like stroke, infections, or other structural lesions affecting the pathways for these cranial nerves. Pathological changes that result in impaired RNA metabolism along with synaptic failure lead to motor neuron reduction which results in bulbar muscle flaccid palsy.
Therapeutic Development for Bulbar Palsy
| Therapy | Mechanism of Action | Targets | NCT Number | Research Phase |
| Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) Therapy | Involves injection of anesthetic near the stellate ganglion to modulate the sympathetic nervous system, potentially reducing inflammation and improving neurovascular supply. | Cervical sympathetic chain | NCT06347250 | Phase II |
| Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cell Therapy | Utilizes stem cells derived from the patient's own bone marrow to promote neuronal repair and regeneration, potentially replacing or restoring damaged neuronal functions. | Damaged or dysfunctional neurons | NCT03067857 | Phase I/II |
Disclaimer: Protheragen focuses on providing preclinical research services. This table is for information exchange purposes only. This table is not a treatment plan recommendation. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.
Our Services
Specializing in comprehensive solutions for bulbar palsy, Protheragen integrates diagnostic development with cutting-edge in vitro diagnostic (IVD) kits for early disease identification. Our therapeutic development pipeline leverages exclusive disease models, such as physiologically representative blood-brain barrier (BBB) models, to expedite the exploration and authentication of central nervous system (CNS) targeted treatments.
Therapeutic Development Services
By Mechanism of Action
Disease Model Development Services
In Vitro Model Development
- SOD1 Transgenic Model: Overexpression of mutant SOD1 to mimic motor neuron degeneration in brainstem nuclei.
- Conditional TARDBP Knock-in Model: Cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions in cranial nerve nuclei appear.
To advance the commercialization of novel therapies for bulbar palsy, Protheragen provides comprehensive preclinical research services, covering pharmacodynamics (PD), pharmacokinetics (PK), and toxicology studies. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details and quotation information of related services.
Reference
- Thakur K T, Albanese E, Giannakopoulos P, et al. Neurological disorders[J]. 2016.