Sarcoidosis is classified as a chronic inflammatory condition that results in the development of granulomas—small clusters of inflammatory cells—in different bodily organs. Protheragen offers an all-encompassing range of preclinical services pertaining to drug and therapy development which are tailored to meet the unique challenges posed by sarcoidosis and accelerate the progress of your research project.
Introduction to Sarcoidosis
S As an inflammatory condition that affects multiple systems within the body, sarcoidosis is distinguished by the formation of non-caseating granulomas within the skin, lungs, and lymph nodes among other organs. While some factors remain unidentifiable, immune system disorders among genetically predisposed individuals appear to provide the underlying mechanism. Some of the skin symptoms include lupus pernio, erythema nodosum, and granulomatous infiltrates. The condition also poses significant challenges for therapeutic development due to its global prevalence of 4.7 to 64 per 100,000, heterogeneous progression, and difficulties in target identification and stratification of individuals.
Fig.1 Sarcoidosis: Epidemiology and clinical insights. (Rossides
et al., 2023)
Pathogenesis of Sarcoidosis
The pathogenesis of sarcoidosis shows the disorder arises from an altered immune reaction in individuals with a genetic predisposition. After contact with an antigen (which remains unknown), the individual mounts an immune response with inflammation of macrophages and T-lymphocytes with granuloma formation. Important cells are the CD4+ T cells which participate in the inflammation and also macrophages which turn into epithelioid cells and multinucleated giant cells which form the center of the granuloma. More recently, some cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12, were shown to actively participate in granuloma and inflammation support and maintenance, which is a significant development.
Therapeutics Development for Sarcoidosis
| Category |
Drug Name |
Target / Intervention |
Mechanistic Validation/Model Data |
Development Stage |
| TNF-α Inhibitor |
Infliximab |
TNF-α neutralization |
Chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis showed 65% improvement in FVC during retrospective analysis. |
Clinical use |
| JAK Inhibitor |
Tofacitinib |
JAK1/3 inhibition |
Skin lesion resolution in phase II: 80%; skin ulcer healing time decreased by 40% over 6 months. |
Phase II |
| IL-12/23 Inhibitor |
Ustekinumab |
IL-12/23p40 blockade |
Sustained 70% lung function stability at 48 weeks post therapy (failures on multiple TNF inhibitors) |
Phase III |
| C5a Inhibitor |
Vilobelimab |
C5a neutralization |
hyperinflammatory subtype granuloma showed 60% reduction in volume. |
Phase IIa |
| GM-CSF Inhibitor |
Namilumab |
GM-CSF blockade |
Granuloma model studies revealed lung function improvement of over 50% in treatment vs. placebo cohort. |
Phase II |
| IL-36R Antagonist |
Imsidolimab |
IL-36R antagonism |
Reduction of inflammation score by 70% in humanized mouse models. |
Phase II |
| Autotaxin Inhibitor |
Ziritaxestat |
LPA pathway blockade |
Antifibrotic activity observed with decreased lung density on micro-CT scans and 45% decrease in dermal collagen. |
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
Protheragen provides a full suite of services to move therapeutics forward for sarcoidosis. Our team of expert scientists, immunologists, and dermatologists deploys innovative technologies to facilitate progress, with both dedicated therapeutic development and disease model development services to support your project.
Therapeutic Development Platforms for Sarcoidosis
At Protheragen, we provide integrated end-to-end solutions for small molecule, gene therapy, cell therapy, and biologic platforms to address the complex immune dysregulation and granuloma formation associated with Sarcoidosis, aiming for systemic inflammation control and organ preservation.
Disease Models Development for Sarcoidosis
Protheragen offers advanced preclinical disease models, including 2D cell models, 3D skin models and animal models development services specifically designed to model disease-specific phenotypes to accelerate therapeutic development for Sarcoidosis.
| 2D Cell Models & 3D Skin Models |
| Protheragen's research services aimed at Sarcoidosis create a base for advancing new effective therapies. We perform in vitro studies using 2D cell models and 3D skin models to understand the molecular pathology underlying Sarcoidosis. |
| Optional Models |
- Patient-Derived Macrophages and T-cells
- Granuloma-on-a-Chip Models
|
- 3D Lung Organoids with Immune Cell Infiltration
- Endothelial Cell Models
|
| Animal models |
| In vivo preclinical studies are an important component of our services. We utilize, such as genetically engineering models, to test the safety and efficacy of potential therapeutics for Sarcoidosis. |
| Optional Models |
- Propionibacterium acnes-Induced Granuloma Models in Mice
- HLA-DR3.Tg Mice
|
- PEG-Coated Silica-Induced Rat model
- Mycobacterium Tuberculosis-Sensitized Mice
|
| Optional Species |
Mice, Rats, Non-human primates, Others |
As a one-stop preclinical research services provider, Protheragen is dedicated to advancing therapies for complex inflammatory diseases like Sarcoidosis. Our end-to-end capabilities allow you to discover your target and disease model to perform full and complete drug safety evaluation and DMPK services. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.
References
- Mathias, K. R., et al. "The Impact of the Unknown: Patient Experiences with Uncertainty in Sarcoidosis." Chest (2025).
- Rossides, M., et al. "Sarcoidosis: Epidemiology and Clinical Insights." J Intern Med 293.6 (2023): 668-80.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
