Aethlon Medical Identifies Novel Long COVID Biomarker, Strengthening Rationale for Hemopurifier® Platform
Key Insights
Patients with Long COVID (search) exhibited approximately two-fold higher levels of mannose-positive extracellular vesicles compared to individuals who fully recovered from COVID-19, according to new peer-reviewed research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
The study, conducted with UCSF investigators, demonstrated that GNA affinity resin — the active binding component of the Hemopurifier (search) — successfully captured disease-associated extracellular vesicles and significantly reduced seven circulating microRNAs linked to immune regulation and inflammatory signaling.
Computational pathway analysis suggested modulation of JAK-STAT (search), VEGF (search), PI3K (search), and Estrogen signaling pathways implicated in Long COVID (search), establishing a mechanistic link between disease-associated EVs and the Hemopurifier (search)'s lectin-based capture technology.
Aethlon Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEMD) has announced the publication of new peer-reviewed research identifying significantly elevated levels of mannosylated extracellular vesicles (EVs) in patients with Long COVID (search) — a discovery that provides additional scientific rationale for evaluating the company's Hemopurifier (search)® as a potential therapeutic intervention. The study, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, was conducted in collaboration with investigators from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
The research analyzed plasma samples from participants enrolled in UCSF's Long-term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus (LIINC) study, a longitudinal cohort designed to understand the prolonged effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Key Findings: Elevated EVs as a Biomarker and Therapeutic Target
The study's principal findings revealed that patients with Long COVID (search) had approximately two-fold higher levels of mannose-positive extracellular vesicles than individuals who recovered fully following COVID-19 infection. This differential glycosylation pattern represents what the company describes as a novel biomarker for the condition.
Small extracellular vesicles carrying disease-associated glycosylation patterns were successfully captured using Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (search) (GNA) affinity resin, the active binding component of the Hemopurifier (search). Furthermore, GNA affinity resin treatment significantly reduced seven circulating microRNAs associated with immune regulation and inflammatory signaling.
Computational pathway analysis suggested modulation of several biologically relevant signaling pathways implicated in Long COVID (search), including JAK-STAT (search), VEGF (search), PI3K (search), and Estrogen signaling. Collectively, the findings help establish a mechanistic link between disease-associated extracellular vesicles and the Hemopurifier (search)'s lectin-based capture technology.
Scientific and Clinical Rationale
"The publication of this study contributes to the scientific understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying Long COVID (search) while strengthening the rationale for evaluating the Hemopurifier (search) in this significant area of unmet medical need," said Jim Frakes, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Aethlon Medical.
Frakes emphasized that the company's current resources and primary focus remain dedicated to advancing its Australian oncology clinical trial. However, he noted that "these findings provide additional translational evidence supporting future preclinical and clinical studies designed to determine whether removal of these circulating extracellular vesicles may benefit patients with Long COVID (search)."
He further characterized the Hemopurifier (search) as a platform technology with potential applications across multiple disease areas, stating: "We believe there exists a 'pipeline within a single device.'"
About the Hemopurifier (search) Platform
The Hemopurifier (search) is a clinical-stage immunotherapeutic device designed to combat cancer and life-threatening viral infections, with additional potential applications in organ transplantation. The device utilizes proprietary lectin-based technology to remove harmful extracellular vesicles from biological fluids — an action with potential relevance in cancer, where EVs may promote immune suppression and metastasis, as well as in life-threatening infectious diseases.
The Hemopurifier (search) holds U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough Device designation for the treatment of individuals with advanced or metastatic cancer who are either unresponsive to or intolerant of standard of care therapy, and with cancer types in which EVs have been shown to participate in disease development or severity. The device also holds an FDA Breakthrough Device designation and an open Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application related to the treatment of life-threatening viruses not addressed with approved therapies.
The full peer-reviewed article, titled "Increased Mannosylation of Extracellular Vesicles in Long COVID (search) Plasma as a Binding Target for Galanthus nivalis Agglutinin (search) (GNA) Affinity Resin," is available in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.