(TheNewswire)
Vancouver, British Columbia – TheNewswire - January 12, 2022. Lexston Life Sciences Corp. (the “Company” or “Lexston” )(CSE:LEXT) (CNSX:LEXT.CN) (OTC:LEXTF) is pleased to announce the signingof a Memorandum of Understanding (the “ MOU ” ) between its wholly owned subsidiary Egret Bioscience Ltd.( “Egret” ) and Alvarius ResearchInc. ( “Alvarius ”; a wholly owned subsidiary ofLighthouse Genomics Inc . ), a leading researchand development company focused on ex situ conservation and genomicresource development for the Colorado River toad ( Incilius alvarius ).
Under the terms of the MOU, Egret and Alvarius intendto elucidate the biosynthetic pathways leadingto the entourage of tryptamines (5-MeO-DMT, 5-MeO-tryptamine,5-HO-N-methyltryptamine, Bufotenin and DMT) produced in thetoads’ parotoid glands secretions. Alvariusrecently commenced an ex situ conservation program with eightindividual toads from two independent captive populations and havedeveloped ethical means to harvest parotoid gland secretions. Thelatter are in the process of being chemicallycharacterized via tryptamine profiling using the Egret High PressureLiquid Chromatography (HPLC) assay and will be used to recordintra-individual variation in tryptamine profiles with the goal ofidentifying individuals to set up future breeding populations.
Subsequent research will investigate genes uniquelyexpressed in parotoid glands. A reference genome will be assembledwith the ultimate goal to enhance ethical andhumane ex situ conservation programs and to develop genomic resourcesto assist the conservation of the species in the wild. The teams willalso jointly develop an alternative to synthetic toad-free tryptamineproduction using a cell-based culture pipeline to produce thecompounds of interest while retaining the natural entourage. Suchcompounds have shown promise in the treatment of a variety ofindications including cluster headaches, and major depressivedisorder.
“We are excited to move forward with this significantproject. The Colorado River toad parotoid glands may represent themost efficient natural factories for tryptamines such as 5-Meo-DMT,reaching concentrations as high as 45% total secretion mass. Theconservation status of this species in the wild has made itchallenging to work with, however we expect that our collaborationwith Alvarius will ensure that alternative means to produce naturaltryptamines will be in place to accommodate the anticipated demand forthis class of psychedelics,” stated Dr. Philippe Henry, ChiefScience Officer and Director of Lexston.
“This collaboration with Egret carries multipledimensions of beneficial impact,” stated Timothy Harvey, Director ofAlvarius Research. “The advent of full-spectrum biosynthetic toadtryptamines will take pressure off toad populations as the supply oftherapeutic psychoactive compounds. There is currently no alternativesource of the full-spectrum gland secretions, which puts wildpopulations under tremendous pressure as demand increases from agrowing number of therapeutic programs, which aim to improve humanpsychological health. To provide a biosynthetic supply to theseimportant therapeutic programs, in addition to stimulating neededresearch into the conservation status of wild populations, links ourbusiness success to improved outcomes for the toad. It is aregenerative business model based on respect for this unique andremarkable species.”
Mugshot of “Little Buddha” one of the 7 year oldColorado river toads in the Alvarius’ terrarium at Salt SpringIsland BC.
For more information and to subscribe to theCompany’s mailing list, please visit https://lexston.ca/contact/ .
About Lexston Life SciencesCorp.
Lexston Life Sciences Corp. is a Canadian biotechnologycompany providing cannabis testing and research services. Lexston isalso in the process of securing licensing under the exemptionsprescribed by section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act(Canada) to enable the expansion of its services into the psychedelicindustry with an initial focus on the detection and quantification ofpsychedelic molecules in the lab and point of care. Lexston intends todevelop and validate methods for standardized manufacturing of plant derived psychedelics in support ofburgeoning trials in the field of mental health and wellness.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
LEXSTON LIFE SCIENCES CORP.
Jagdip Bal Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: (604) 928-8913
Forward-Looking Statements
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