Groundbreaking Study Finds C15:0, an Emerging Essential Fatty Acid, is Key to Unlocking the Second-Ever Discovered Full-Acting Endogenous Cannabinoid
Seraphina Therapeutics reports pentadecanoylcarnitine as a newly discovered endocannabinoid made by our bodies to regulate inflammation, pain, mood, and sleep.
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A recently published peer-reviewed study in Nature's Scientific Reports revealed that an emerging essential fatty acid, called C15:0, is used by our bodies to make the second-ever discovered full-acting endocannabinoid.
Endocannabinoids have been touted as the holy grail to health due to their numerous health benefits, including reducing inflammation, controlling pain, lowering anxiety, improving sleep, and supporting cognition and brain health.
"The scientific world has been actively searching for molecules within our bodies that naturally regulate the endocannabinoid system," said Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson, the study's lead author and co-founder and CEO of Seraphina Therapeutics. "The discovery of pentadecanoylcarnitine as the world's second full-acting endocannabinoid opens an exciting new path to broadly and safely supporting both physical and mental health."
In this groundbreaking study funded by the Office of Naval Research, pentadecanoylcarnitine (PDC) was identified as a key molecule that is made within our bodies' cells by combining C15:0 with carnitine. When tested for potential therapeutic activities, it was discovered that PDC fully activated CB1 and CB2 receptors that are present in the human endocannabinoid system.
An endocannabinoid is a molecule that is naturally intended to activate CB1 and CB2 receptors and is endogenous, which means it is made by our body. This is different from exogenous cannabinoids, like cannabis, which are put into our body and can artificially trick our CB1 or CB2 receptors.
Prior to this discovery, only one endocannabinoid, called 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), had been known to fully target both CB1 and CB2 receptors. 2-AG is made using an omega-6 fatty acid called arachidonic acid. As a key limitation, however, 2-AG is rapidly metabolized and has a very short half-life. While Venn-Watson's paper suggests that PDC is a more stable and longer lasting metabolite, more studies are needed.
In addition to showing that a diet higher in C15:0 results in raised PDC levels, the current study demonstrated that PDC has direct, broad, and dose-dependent beneficial effects on multiple human cell-systems mimicking various disease states. PDC effectively lowered ten pro-inflammatory cytokines in systems relevant to inflammatory, autoimmune, cardiovascular, neoplastic, pulmonary, and skin diseases.
"Given our growing understanding of C15:0 as an essential fatty acid, it makes perfect sense that C15:0 is used to make active and beneficial metabolites in our bodies," said Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson. "The understanding that we can increase our PDC levels by increasing our C15:0 intake provides a tangible path to better health."
Venn-Watson's team had previously discovered C15:0 as the first essential fatty acid to be found in 90 years, which was published during May 2020 in Nature's Scientific Reports. Since then, over 30 peer-reviewed studies have been published from institutions around the world linking higher C15:0 to lower risks of multiple chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. At least two studies have associated higher circulating C15:0 to longer lifespan, and a second team corroborated odd-chain saturated fatty acids, including C15:0, as essential fatty acids.
The surprising discovery of C15:0 as an essential fatty acid, which was made while Venn-Watson was studying how to continually improve the health and welfare of aging Navy dolphins, was recently featured as a TEDx San Diego talk and as a Fast Company World Changing Idea. "The dolphins were the first to teach us that C15:0 is a healthy nutrient in an all-fish diet, more so than omega-3s," said Venn-Watson. "We now have dolphins to thank for this latest discovery, which is gearing up to be a game-changer to help people lower anxiety, improve sleep, and manage pain."
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About Seraphina Therapeutics. Inc.
Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc. is a health and wellness company dedicated to advancing global health through the discovery of essential fatty acids and micronutrient therapeutics. Through rigorous breakthrough science, the company develops pure and essential nutrients to support cellular health and counter age-related breakdown. With its team of industry-leading scientists, Seraphina Therapeutics challenges long-held approaches to nutrition, enabling the creation of novel health products designed to support quality of life. The company is a spinout of Epitracker, Inc., headquartered in San Diego. For more information, please visit seraphinatherapeutics.com and fatty15.com.
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SOURCE Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc.
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