Since Dr. Désir’s discovery of Renalase in 2005, Dr. Désir has a led a growing global community of scientists and physicians seeking to understand the role of Renalase in cell survival and the immune system. 

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Work in both animals and patients has revealed that Renalase is a critical and powerful cytokine (or immunomodulator) protecting organs from ischemic injury and other insults. It also demonstrates non-opioid analgesic properties. Together, it blunts cell damage and inflammation, promotes tissue repair and alleviates pain. Secreted primarily by the kidney, Renalase has shown protective properties against immune attack and promotes cell growth in the heart, lungs, kidneys and pancreas. 

 

While Renalase is protective in organ injury, cancer hijacks those functions of Renalase in promoting cell survival and downregulating the immune system to promote tumor growth and survival.

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The Désir laboratory has published extensive research in patients characterizing these effects and defined Renalase as a key drug target for both organ injury and oncology. His research shows when the Renalase pathway is activated, it promotes organ recovery from injury and also alleviates associated pain, and conversely blocking the Renalase pathway slows and halts the progression of many forms of difficult-to-treat cancers.

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Our mission at REMED is to leverage Dr. Désir’s important discoveries, which are the conceptual underpinnings of new classes of therapeutics, to treat and prevent a large unmet clinical needs: acute pancreatitis and its associated pain, acute kidney injury, and hard-to-treat cancers.