The membranes that separate us and our environment are epithelia.  Epithelial barriers line, for example, the skin, the gastrointestinal and the respiratory tracts. These barriers are essential in protecting our bodies against allergens, pathogens and other harmful substances. The cells of epithelia are constantly replenished, in a dynamic and delicately orchestrated manner.

Dysfunction in the barrier properties of a given epithelium can have severe health consequences giving rise to Diseases of Epithelial Barrier Impairment (termed DEBIs).  DEBIs are often characterized by inflammatory feedback loops where ingress of exogenous substances across the impaired barrier results in inflammation and the inflammatory processes in turn cause further harm to the epithelial barrier. 

The symptoms of a given DEBI, and the specific tissue or tissues involved, are diverse. However, research over the past several years have revealed that, at the molecular level, similar pathways are implicated in multiple DEBIs. These insights have identified a common pathway that can be addressed to simultaneously address the barrier impairment and inflammatory dimensions of several DEBIs.

EnZen’s mission is to provide effective treatments for many millions of DEBI sufferers based on a novel therapeutic agent delivered directly to the affected epithelial tissue.

If you would like to help us achieve these goals, would like to be notified of our progress as it is made, or wish to explore opportunities to become part of the growing EnZen team, we would be pleased to hear from you.