Per tradition, the Olympic cauldron burns for the duration of the Games until the Closing Ceremony when it is extinguished. 🔵🟡⚫️🟢🔴 #Paris2024
To borrow an instructive analogy from this EpicentRx authored manuscript entitled, “What Exactly Is Inflammation (and What Is It Not?)”, chronic inflammation is an internal fire that, once ignited, continues to burn and burn, not for a defined duration of around 17 days like in the Olympics but often for years on end. The common denominator behind diverse diseases like heart failure, cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney failure, dementia, depression, and even premature aging seems to be chronic inflammation, which makes it a real problem without a current solution.
One of the main drivers of chronic inflammation is the continuous and abnormal activation of a series of three proteins called the NLRP3 inflammasome. Dysregulation of NLRP3 inflammasome activation strongly suggests the need for direct NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors. Because these inflammasome inhibitors have the potential to put out or extinguish the enduring burning flame of chronic inflammation, they may nearly function as a panacea or cure-all.
The most clinically advanced direct NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor is lead EpicentRx small molecule, RRx-001 (nibrozetone), which puts the “no” in inferno. As might be expected from a broad-spectrum and well-tolerated anti-inflammatory agent, RRx-001 has potential panacea-like properties with activity in a range of conditions like severe oral mucositis, neurodegenerative diseases, heart disease, kidney failure, hemorrhagic shock, malaria, COVID-19, cancer, and endometriosis to name a few. It is under investigation in three ongoing or soon-to-start clinical trials — for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (Phase 3 — ongoing), severe oral mucositis (phase 2b — ongoing), and endometriosis (Phase 2 — soon-to-start). Several prestigious grants have also been awarded to evaluate RRx-001 as an anti-inflammatory treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS/MND and as an anti-inflammatory countermeasure or antidote against toxic chemicals that target the nervous system.
Unlike the Paris 2024 facsimile of an Olympic cauldron (see rendering below), which went out (or rather glowed out since the eco-friendly cauldron is reportedly made up of mist and beams of light rather than actual fire) on August 11th during the Closing Ceremony, the flames of chronic inflammation will continue to smolder unless and until an effective NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor hopefully like RRx-001 (nibrozetone) extinguishes them.
