RT001 (dPUFAs)

dPUFAS – Fatty acids are an essential fuel source for the body, especially the heart and muscles. There are different forms of fatty acids – saturated and unsaturated. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are good fats and essential to cells in the nervous system, specifically the mitochondrial membrane. It has been shown that PUFAs are susceptible to oxidative damage, and it is hypothesized that this oxidative damage can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, especially in neurological diseases. The strategy here is stabilizing the PUFAs and protecting the cells from this oxidative damage. One approach to stabilizing the PUFAs is to create mimetics (very similar chemical substitutes) of PUFAs. Deuterated compounds are those that have hydrogen molecules replaced by deuterium. Deuterium is a stable isotope of hydrogen. Substituting deuterium for hydrogen molecules in PUFAs is one approach being evaluated by Retrotope.