Oxygen is an essential nutrient for life. Yet, excessive combinations of certain forms of reactive oxygen species—known as free oxygen radicals—can result in cell mutations and cell death. Indeed, many diseases have been linked to free oxygen radials, including adult respiratory distress syndrome, heart attack, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and complications associated with organ transplantation. Additionally, it has been shown that the harmful effects of exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation are directly related to generation of free oxygen radicals.

Tego Biosciences has developed a patented technology platform to treat such diseases. The platform is based on fullerenes, soccer-ball shaped molecules comprised of sixty carbon atoms. Because fullerenes have an external electron cloud, they can pick up electrons and eliminate dangerous free radicals. Indeed, they have been described as the most powerful anti-oxidant known. By themselves, however, fullerenes cannot be used for therapeutic purposes. Tego uses its proprietary technology to attach groups to the surface of fullerenes to make them more soluble and capable of reaching specific tissues in the body. If targeted to the right sites, fullerenes can stop the production of free radicals at their source. Since one free radical can damage hundreds or thousands of molecules, it is more effective to eliminate the free radical at the site it is produced rather at one of the thousands of sites it is damaging downstream.